COVID-19 surge accelerating in provinces – OCTA

MANILA, Philippines — The surge in COVID-19 cases is either ”maturing” or ”accelerating” in more provinces outside Metro Manila, a member of the OCTA Research Group said yesterday.

While the increase in new cases appears to be slowing down in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan, OCTA fellow Guido David said the surge is maturing in Laguna, Pampanga and Benguet.

David had earlier explained that maturing means the outbreak is in the middle to peak stage.

The classification is a notch lower than the “severe” outbreak, which OCTA said is happening in Metro Manila.

David said the outbreak in Batangas and Isabela is accelerating and is in the early stages in Cebu, Pangasinan, Quezon, Iloilo, Camarines Sur, Davao del Sur and Negros Occidental.

OCTA’s outbreak classification is based on the increase in new cases, average daily attack rate (ADAR) and reproduction number.

Cavite recorded the highest number of average new cases from Jan. 8 to 14 with 2,399 (up 258 percent from the preceding week) followed by Rizal with 1,903 (up 254 percent) and Bulacan, 1,733 (up 295 percent).

While still considered very high, the one-week growth rate of less than 300 percent in the three provinces was the lowest.

Camarines Sur, which logged an average of 197 new cases, has the highest growth rate at 745 percent followed by Cebu, with 632 percent (average of 354 daily new cases), and Davao del Sur, 615 percent (average of 165 daily new cases).

Baguio, Naga, Angeles, Santiago, Dagupan and Lucena may be considered as critical risk along with the entire National Capital Region among highly urbanized cities, David said.

He said the five cities logged “very high” ADAR and reproduction number based on data from Jan. 8 to 14.

Pangasinan, which recorded only two cases on Jan. 1, logged 290 new infections on Friday. The average daily tally in the past week increased to 181.

Calasiao, which logged 94 active cases; Urdaneta City, 85; Lingayen, 80; San Carlos City, 62; Malasiqui, 60; Sta. Barbara, 59; Binmaley, 50; Mangaldan, 49; Asingan, 41, and Bautista, 38, are on the COVID watchlist.

In Davao City, COVID-19 task force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said granular instead of total lockdown would be imposed in areas that reported an increase in infections.

Schlosser said a government office has been placed on granular lockdown.

Davao logged 307 new cases on Thursday, 243 on Wednesday, 110 on Tuesday and 40 on Monday.

‘No vax, no entry’

As this developed, the Cotabato city government imposed a ”no vaccine card, no entry” policy at its borders starting yesterday.

A number of commuters, passengers of private vehicles and cargo truck drivers and their crew were denied entry for failing to present their vaccination cards.

The no vaccination or no negative COVID test, no entry policy will also be implemented at the Clark Freeport Zone starting yesterday.

The Clark Development Corp. (CDC) said the policy would apply to freeport workers being picked up by company buses at the gates.

The CDC said the only unvaccinated persons to be allowed entry are those going to hospitals and other health facilities. – Eva Visperas, Edith Regalado, John Unson, Ding Cervantes