Metro Manila's localized lockdowns may have helped slow down the increasing number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases but there remain indications of continuous rising trend in new cases in the metropolis, OCTA Research said in its latest report.
In its February 25 bulletin, the research group said that after 719 new case reports on February 22, the daily new cases in Metro Manila have decreased to 474 on February 24.
"However, indications are that the trend is still increasing, as the reproduction number in NCR (National Capital Region) increased to 1.32," OCTA said.
"New cases in NCR are expected to increase at least in the short term," it added, noting that positivity rate in NCR was at 5 percent over the past seven days.
OCTA noted that in NCR, Pasay City had a 160 percent increase in new cases compared to the previous week, while the daily attack rate was high at 12.67 per 100,000.
Citing case reports of the Department of Health, the group pointed out that Malabon, Manila, Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, and Marikina also had more than 40 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases compared to the previous two week.
While several local government units (LGUs) in NCR reported increase in new cases, OCTA cited Mandaluyong as the "best performing LGU in NCR."
OCTA said Mandaluyong City not only avoided an increase in new cases but also reported a low daily attack rate of 2.55 per 100,000, low hospital occupancy of 5 percent, and low positivity rate of 2 percent.
The team also cited Muntinlupa City, Valenzuela City, and Pasig City that "performed well in several key indicators."
OCTA reported that Cebu City still had the most number of new COVID-19 cases nationwide, averaging 220 per day for the past seven days, although its trend has slowed down.
"Its positivity rate remained high at 16 percent and its (two-week) daily attack rate was still very high at 21 per 100,000," the group said.
"Hospital occupancy was still moderate at 53 percent, as the increase in critical care utilization has been controlled not just by the slowing down of the pandemic in Cebu City, but also the continued pandemic management of the local government, which helped increase hospital bed capacity by at least 10 percent," it added.
In Lapu-Lapu City, OCTA said hospital occupancy was above 70 percent, while in Mandaue City, where new cases are still rising, hospital occupancy was at 61 percent, the report said.