National Task Force (NTF) Deputy Chief Implementer and Testing Czar Vince Dizon said Metro Manila's positivity rate dropped to 17 percent due to the implementation of stricter community quarantines.

In a virtual Palace briefing, Dizon attributed the decline to the reimplementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

From a peak of 30 percent early April, Metro Manila's positivity rate is now at 17 percent, according to the NTF official.

Meanwhile, the country's positivity rate also declined, from 25.22 percent last April 2, it is now at 16.74 percent.

"Dahil po sa ginawa ng ating pamahalaan sa tulong ng ating LGUs , ng ating mga kababayan, napababa na po natin nang malaki, almost 10 percent ang positivity rate (Because of the government's effort, with the help of our LGUs, our countrymen, we have reduced the positivity rate significantly, almost 10 percent)," Dizon said Thursday, April 29.

"Sinabayan po yan ng ating pagra-ramp up ng mga tine-test, pero importante po maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan, hindi lang po testing ang kailangan nating gawin, ang pinakaimportante sa tulong ng kooperasyon ng ating mga kababayan natin yung pagsusuot ng mask, paghuhugas ng kamay, pagdistansya, at mabilis na pag-iisolate (We also ramped up our testing, but it's important for our countrymen to understand that we don't just need testing, the most important thing is their cooperation, wearing of masks, washing of hands, observing physical distancing, and isolation)," he added.

Dizon said the country's testing peak reached over 67,000 per day.

The testing czar also lauded the efforts of non-government organizations and private sectors.

"Napakalaki po talaga ng pasasalamat ng ating pamahalaan sa Philippine Red Cross, sa volunteers, at sa kanilang chairman na si Senator Richard Gordon (Our government is very grateful to the Philippine Red Cross, to its volunteers, and to their chairman Senator Richard Gordon)," Dizon said.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) launched on Wednesday, April 28, an emergency field hospital with 18 tents at the Lung Center of the Philippines in response to the overwhelming volume of COVID-19 patients needing admission.

PRC also put up isolation wards at the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, University of the Philippines Diliman, and Adamson University.