Nine regions in the Philippines have been listed under “high risk” classification for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) amid the worsening pandemic situation in the country.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), these areas are the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 7, 4-A (Calabarzon), 10, 3, 1, 2, 6, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
“Meron tayong siyam na rehiyon na nakatala as high risk case classification (We have nine regions that are listed as high risk case classification),” said DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Alethea De Guzman in a Palace briefing Monday, Aug. 16.
The health official said that healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) in most regions are under moderate risk classification based on the DOH’s dataset as of Aug. 13.
However, the intensive care unit utilization rate (ICUR) in seven regions—NCR, Regions 7, Calabarzon, 10, 3, 2, and 6—have been classified as high risk.
She pointed out that both the HCUR and ICUR in the Calabarzon and Region 2 are now at high risk classification.
The Philippines remains under high risk classification for COVID-19, de Guzman said, noting that the country’s HCUR was classified as moderate risk at 60.68 percent while the ICUR listed as high risk at 70.02 percent.
No area under lowest alert level
The DOH official reported that higher alert levels for COVID-19 have been raised over most areas in the country.
“Sa ngayon, based on our alert levels, wala na tayong Alert Level 1. Karamihan ay nasa Alert level 4 na (Right now, based on our alert levels, we no longer have areas under Alert Level 1. Most are at Alert level 4),” said De Guzman.
“Ibig sabihin, kasabay ng pagdami ng kaso ay yung pagtass din ng ating mga utilization rates (This means that along with the increase in cases, so does the increase in our utilization rates),” she added.
Slight rise in COVID-19 deaths
Meanwhile, the average number of COVID-19 deaths per day nationwide have slightly increased since the last week of July.
“Bahagyang may pagdami tayo ng deaths na nakikita (We are seeing a slight increase in the number of deaths),” De Guzman said.
“Tayo ay nag-aaverage ng (We are averaging) 75 deaths per day for the first two weeks of August and this is nearing the 84 deaths per day we saw in July,” she added.