OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David is hoping that the Omicron wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases will be finished by March or April.
In the Laging Handa public briefing on Monday, Jan. 24, David said that the country can see less than 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day by the time the Omicron wave is over.
"Medyo matatagalan pa ang Omicron wave. Pataas pa lang sa ibang lugar, may ibang lugar na wala pa (The Omicron wave may last longer because cases are still increasing in other areas, while there are areas that have no Omicron cases yet)," David said.
"We are hoping that by March or April, tapos na ang Omicron wave sa bansa natin na mga 1,000 cases per day. Pero hindi iyon guaranteed (We are hoping that by March or April, the Omicron wave in our country will reach its end with about 1,000 cases per day. But that is not yet guaranteed)," he added.
David noted that cases in Metro Manila continued to decrease, while it started to go down in Cavite, Bulacan, and Rizal.
He pointed out that seven cities outside Metro Manila have posted a record-high number of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases on Sunday, Jan. 23.
In a tweet on Monday, Jan. 24, David said record-high new cases were reported in Bacolod City (347 cases), Baguio City (902 cases), Butuan City (310 cases), Davao City (1,831 cases), General Santos City (188 cases), Iloilo City (793 cases), and Mandaue City (285 cases).
Meanwhile, Baguio City and Iloilo City continue to have a "severe outbreak" of COVID-19 with the average daily attack rate (ADAR) in these areas recorded at 161.90 and 95.84, respectively.
The ADAR or incidence rate refers to the number of new daily cases per 100,000 population.
Moreover, "very high" one-week growth rates--greater than 100 percent--were recorded in the provinces of Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte, Davao del Sur, Apayao, Iloilo, Ifugao, and Cebu.