The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reproduction numbers in Metro Manila and eight key areas, known as the NCR (National Capital Region) Plus 8, are currently less than 0.55, based on the latest monitoring of independent research group OCTA.
The NCR Plus 8 is composed of Metro Manila, Cebu City, Davao City, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.
"All of NCR Plus Eight are on a downward trend with reproduction number less than 0.55," OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said in a tweet on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
OCTA's monitoring showed that Cavite had the lowest reproduction number at 0.43, followed by Cebu City with 0.44, Laguna with 0.45, and Davao City with 0.49.
The reproduction number in other areas are as follows: Bulacan (0.50), Batangas (0.51), Metro Manila (0.52), Pampanga, (0.52), and Rizal (0.55).
The current reproduction values in these areas are considered at a "low" level, based on the Covid Act Now indicators used by OCTA.
Moreover, the positivity rate, which refers to the number of people who test positive given the testing, is considered at a moderate level in Metro Manila (8 percent), Cebu City (6 percent), and Cavite (6 percent).
Positivity rates in the six other areas, however, remain at a "high" level--11 percent in Batangas and Rizal, 13 percent in Davao City, 15 percent in Pampanga, 16 percent in Bulacan, and 17 percent in Laguna.
The ideal positivity rate set by the World Health Organization is 5 percent.
Healthcare utilization rates in the NCR Plus 8 are also at a low level--Metro Manila, 42 percent; Cebu City, 25 percent; Davao City, 47 percent; Batangas, 54 percent; Bulacan, 39 percent; Cavite, 37 percent; Laguna, 41 percent; Pampanga, 46 percent; and Rizal, 53 percent.
In terms of intensive care utilization rate, Davao City (68 percent), Batangas (65 percent), and Rizal (67 percent) remain at a moderate level, while the rest of the NCR Plus 8 had ICU utilization already at a low level.