Metro Manila and Benguet are still in a "severe outbreak" of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), while 14 provinces remain at a "very high" infection level, the independent research group OCTA warned on Saturday, Jan. 22.
OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David said Benguet had the highest incidence rate or average daily attack rate (ADAR) with 92.71 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Metro Manila with 83.83 cases per 100,000 population from Jan. 15 to 21.
Both areas are classified as "severe," based on the indicators of the Covid Act Now that was developed by the Harvard Global Health Institute, Apple, Microsoft, and Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, the one-week growth rate of cases in Metro Manila was down to -30 percent, but Benguet's growth rate was up to 159 percent.
In OCTA's latest monitoring, the provinces that are at "very high risk" for COVID-19, based on their ADAR were:
Laguna -- 61.82
Cavite -- 59.10
Bataan -- 53.05
Rizal -- 51.13
Kalinga -- 50.39
Mountain Province -- 40.10
La Union -- 39.61
Bulacan -- 32.60
Cagayan -- 30.62
Nueva Vizcaya -- 29.89
Pampanga -- 28.25
Apayao -- 28.23
Batangas -- 28.07
Ilocos Norte -- 28.04
"Residents in these areas are advised to practice extreme caution when going outdoors as the level of infection is very high," David said in a tweet.