Metro Manila and five provinces in Luzon have seen increases in their Covid-19 positivity rates over the past week, the independent research group OCTA said on Monday, Sept. 19.
OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Metro Manila’s positivity rate increased to 15.6 percent on Sept. 17, from 13.3 percent on Sept. 10.
Positivity rate refers to the number of individuals who yielded positive results from among those who have been tested for Covid-19.
David said that higher positivity rates were also observed in Bulacan (16.1 percent from 11.5 percent), Cavite (16.6 percent from 13.9 percent), Laguna (10.7 percent from 9.8 percent), Pangasinan (8 percent from 6.9 percent), and Rizal (18.7 percent from 17.4 percent).
Meanwhile, the positivity rates of other areas in Luzon have improved, David pointed out.
These areas are:
Albay (10.6 percent from 22.1 percent)
Bataan (5.5 percent from 7.1 percent)
Batangas (9.4 percent from 10.2 percent)
Benguet (6.8 percent from 9.2 percent)
Cagayan (9.9 percent from 11.1 percent)
Camarines Sur (20.6 percent from 30 percent)
Ilocos Norte (9.1 percent from 9.6 percent)
Isabela (11.5 percent from 15.7 percent)
La Union (12.4 percent from 15.3 percent)
Nueva Ecija (21.9 percent from 35.1 percent)
Pampanga (13.3 percent from 15.1 percent)
Quezon (9.3 percent from 10.1 percent)
Tarlac (33.2 percent from 33.7 percent)
Zambales (4.4 percent from 10 percent)
The World Health Organization’s recommended positivity rate is 5 percent or less to show that the spread of the virus is under control.