COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila haven't peaked yet, DOH says
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 1:13 p.m.) — The Department of Health said Saturday that COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila have not yet peaked, countering preliminary projections mde by a fellow of the private think tank OCTA Research Group.
"At this point in our anaylsis, we are still not seeing that cases are peaking," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said partly in Filipino during a briefing aired on state TV, noting that cases in the capital region have increased 8% from the previous week.
Vergeire encouraged the public to continue observing minimum public health standards and get vaccinated, while she pushed local governments to improve their response to the outbreak to lower the number of cases nationwide.
OCTA fellow Guido David said on Twitter that preliminary trends show that the surge of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila may have already peaked as the reproduction number, or the rate at which the virus spreads, has decreased to 1.22, while the positivity rate, or the number of people who test positive for the virus, has dropped to 24%.
9.18.21. Early indications are that the surge may have already peaked in the NCR, but efforts must be sustained to ensure the trend continues downward. @dzbb @allangatus @cnnphilippines @dzrhnews @smninews @News5PH @dwiz882 @RMMendozaMT @haydeesampang @sarchavez @CarolynBonquin pic.twitter.com/IunYrWUVwO
— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) September 18, 2021
David, however, cautioned that it is not yet certain that cases have truly peaked in the region, saying that "it will be clearer in the coming days and weeks."
The government is experimenting with new coronavirus curbs in Metro Manila, with the region shifting from the old community quarantine system to the alert level system, where some restrictions are eased, especially for the fully vaccinated.
Based on data from the Department of Health, 60,496 new cases were recorded in Metro Manila in the last 14 days alone, with 5,156 cases added just this Friday.
Active cases in the capital region stand at 52,561, while 9,326 have died due to the virus and a total of 691,460 have recovered from the disease. — Xave Gregorio
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