The increase in the number of infections in Mindanao has decelerated, according to experts studying the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

In its monitoring report issued on Friday, June 11, the OCTA Research Group reported that the rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Mindanao has “slowed down.”

“Davao City had a slight decrease in cases, and has dropped to second overall in the entire Philippines,” the report stated.

OCTA said hospital bed occupancy rate in Davao City remained at a “safe” level below 60 percent, while the city’s positivity rate was at 12 percent and its reproduction number was at 1.46 over the past week.

However, the independent research group has tagged the cities of Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Butuan, Tuguegarao, Cotabato, and Tacloban as “areas of concern.”

Situation in Mindanao

While there has been an improvement in the situation in some Mindanao areas, experts have taken note of the high hospital occupancy rates in Cagayan de Oro.

“The trends continued to move downward in Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga City, but Cagayan de Oro continued to have high hospital occupancy rates,” the report said.

Data from OCTA showed that hospital bed utilization rate in Cagayan de Oro was at 81 percent in the previous week, while the city’s intensive care unit occupancy rate was at 80 percent.

COVID-19 in the Visayas

Among the areas in Eastern Visayas, OCTA said that Dumaguete continued to experience a surge in new cases, with the city registering a one-week growth rate of 290 percent.

On the other hand, the situation in Western Visayas has slightly improved with the increasing trend in Bacolod City has now slowed down, while the trend in Iloilo is now on a “slight decrease.”

However, OCTA pointed out that hospital bed and ICU occupancy in the city remained high at 84 percent and 99 percent, respectively.

In Eastern Visayas, Tacloban had a significant rise in new cases, with a one-week growth rate of 64 percent over the past week.

Hospital bed and ICU capacity in the city also remained high at 75 percent and 78 percent, respectively.

Cases in NCR drop

Meanwhile, OCTA reported that the average number of daily new cases in Metro Manila decreased by 17 percent to 926 cases as of June 4 to 10.

The reproduction number in the region over the same period was measured at 0.72, while the average daily attack rate was 6.7, “which means the risk level in the region is moderate.”

OCTA said the positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) decreased to eight percent while the hospital care utilization rate decreased to 36 percent, and the ICU occupancy rate was at 49 percent.

The group noted that most areas in the metropolis have already moved down to moderate risk level, with Navotas having the lowest risk level followed by Marikina.