OCTA: COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila up in recent week

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila saw an increase in COVID-19 cases in the previous week, but the capital region remained at low risk for virus spread, OCTA Research said Tuesday.

According to OCTA Research fellow Guido David, the daily average of new cases rose by 10% to 86 (May 31 to June 6) from 78 (May 24 to 30).

Metro Manila’s reproduction number—or the number of people an individual positive for COVID-19 can infect—rose to 1.24 from 1.08. Ideally, the reproduction number should be less than 1.

There were also slight increases in the one-week average daily attack rate to 0.61 from 0.55, and in the positivity rate to 1.6% from 1.5%. The positivity rate is still below the five-percent threshold of the World Health Organization to indicate that the spread of the coronavirus is under control.

Meanwhile, the healthcare utilization rate went down to 21% from 23%.

“[The National Capital Region] remained at low risk amid the uptick in new cases, but the public is advised to not be complacent with health protocols,” David said on Twitter.

The Department of Health said that 1,295 new COVID-19 infections were recorded from May 30 to June 5. The daily case average during that period was 185, which was 1.4% lower than a week earlier.

There are currently 2,479 active COVID-19 cases. — Gaea Katreena Cabico