COVID-19 cases in NCR up by 47%

New COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) have climbed by 47 percent in the past week compared to the previous week.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said more than 900 new cases per day were recorded last week in Manila.

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As such, Duque said it would have served as a wake-up call to local governments to intensify further case finding, testing, and contact tracing to more effectively combat the spread of the virus.

The secretary also agreed with the OCTA Research Group’s recommendation to implement circuit breaker lockdown in localities with high COVID-19 transmission due to the Delta variant.

But medical experts and IATF still need to discuss if it will be effective. He said it is necessary to prove that the Delta variant already has ‘community transmission’ before implementing it. However, it is still better to immediately think that it has a comprehensive transmission to worsen the situation.

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Although the Department of Health had previously said that it was not correct to use the word “surge” to describe the rising cases of COVID-19 in NCR, the OCTA Research Group reiterated their observation.

COVID-19 cases in NCR up by 47%

“Right now, it’s official, we are in a surge po dito sa NCR. Hindi po pwedeng balewalain ito. Hindi puwedeng hindi pansinin itong pagtaas,” said Ranjit Rye of OCTA.

According to OCTA, local governments must act now, whether there is a confirmed case of the Delta variant or not.

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“Dapat maagap, maingat. Kung maaga tayong mag-e-enforce ng circuit breaking restrictions, sa tingin namin, mas mainam ‘yun. Mababa pa ang mga kaso, konti ang mahahawa, halos walang mamamatay at ‘yung ekonomiya mase-save natin kasi maikli lang ang lockdown. Go early and go hard,” said Rye.

Based on newly collected data by the Department of Health, here is the incoming data for July 27:

All cases: 1,562,420
Still recovering: 56,477, or 3.6% of total infections
Just recovered: 5,672, making it 1,478,625 all recovering
Deaths: 72, which raises the total local death toll to 27,318

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