Despite the downward trend of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases nationally, four regions of the country were still under the "high-risk" classification for COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

The regions that were still classified as “high-risk” for COVID-19 include Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley (Region II), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX), and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan-Region IV-B), said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

"Mayroon pa rin po tayong mga lugar na pina-flag natin na mataas pa rin ang case classification, nasa high risk pa rin po sila at saka positive pa rin ang two-week growth rate nila (We still have areas that we are flagging because they still have a high case classification--- they are still at high risk and have a positive two-week growth rate)," she said on Saturday, Oct. 9.

"As to the total bed and ICU utilization, high risk pa rin po talaga ang CAR, Region II, Region IX and Caraga," she added.

Meanwhile, the majority of the country's regions were "showing negative two-week growth rate" of cases.

Vergeire said that they continue to augment the different hospitals as some of them still have a high number of patients admitted.

“Kailangan maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan na while the cases are going down, ang hospital po talaga nahuhuli sa pag-decongest, because these individuals na nasa hospitals specifically sa ICU, mas matagal po sila naglalagi sa ospital, it can be 21 days or more. Kaya mas mabagal po nating mapagdi-decongest ang ating mga ospital. (Our countrymen need to understand that while the cases are going down--- the hospitals are really last to decongest, because these individuals who are in hospitals specifically in the ICU, they stay in the hospital longer, it can be 21 days or more. That is why we are slow in decongesting our hospitals),” she said.

“Tuloy pa rin po ang ating strengthened response sa ating mga communities, para maputol po ang transmission at mas kakaunti na lang po ang mapunta sa mga ospital (We will continue to strengthen the response in our communities, so that transmission can be cut off and fewer people will go to hospitals),” she added.

Situation in NCR

The DOH spokesperson said that COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) continue to decline.

Vergeire said that the members of the Interagency Task Force (IATF) are constantly monitoring the situation in Metro Manila to decide whether to downgrade or not its current alert level.

“Sana po, tayo po lahat ay nagho-hope that by Christmas time, magkakaroon po tayo ng mas maluwag na classification and restriction ng ating mga kababayan (Hopefully, by Christmas time, we will have a more relaxed classification and restriction),” she said.