OCTA: Metro LGUs now at moderate risk

MANILA, Philippines — All areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) are now considered at “moderate risk” for COVID-19 with the continued decline in new infections, the OCTA Research Group said yesterday.

Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), OCTA said the average number of new cases in Metro Manila from June 9 to 15 was at 829 cases per day, down 13 percent from the preceding week.

This corresponds to an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of six infections per 100,000 people, which is considered as moderate risk.

The region has a hospital bed occupancy of 35 percent, intensive care unit utilization rate of 46 percent and mechanical ventilator occupancy at 33 percent, all within safe levels.

OCTA said all local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila each have an ADAR of less than 10 infections per 100,000, which is the threshold needed for an area to be classified as high risk.

Navotas, which recorded an average of 10 new cases per day from June 9 to 15, has the lowest ADAR at 3.85, followed by Marikina with 4.35, Caloocan with 4.49, Malabon with 4.74 and Quezon City with 5.19.

Pateros, which has the highest ADAR among Metro Manila LGUs at 9.24, has the lowest average new daily new cases at six.

At present, the health care utilization rate (HCUR) for COVID-19 in NCR hospitals is at “low risk” overall, DOH Undersecretary and Treatment czar Leopoldo Vega said.

Vega cited how the number of new cases of COVID-19 in NCR has been going down, along with the number of severe and critical patients.

Citing the DOH’s Daily Tracker for COVID-19, he said there are cities in “critical or high positions” such as Muntilupa and Makati.

“But collectively in the entire NCR, the utilization rate for ICU beds is 50 percent both in public and private hospitals,” Vega said at yesterday’s public briefing.

Vega added this is primarily because since March 28, the critical care capacity in NCR had increased by almost 400 beds.

Aside from this, he pointed out the DOH was able to open “modular field hospitals” that accommodated COVID-19 patients.

The official admitted there are hospitals, especially those in Level 2 and 3 categories, that are experiencing high HCUR. But this is because these hospitals really do not have enough beds allocated for COVID-19 patients, he said. – Sheila Crisostomo