The seven-day positivity rate of Covid-19 in Metro Manila dropped slightly to 7.8 percent on Nov. 15, from 7.4 percent on Nov. 8, according to OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David.
“The slower rate of decrease indicates a plateauing of the trend,” David said in an update on Thursday, Nov. 17.
“While less than 5 percent positivity rate is still attainable if the downtrend continues, there is a possibility that the positivity rate will remain above this level. There is also a possibility that an uptick may happen soon. We will have to see what happens over the next few weeks,” he pointed out.
The World Health Organization recommended that the positivity rate should remain at 5 percent or less to show that the spread of the virus is under control.
David also noted that the reproduction number of Covid-19 in Metro Manila increased from 0.83 on Nov. 6 to 1.02 on Nov. 13.
The reproduction number refers to the average number of secondary infections.
Moreover, the weekly growth rate of cases in Metro Manila increased from -18 percent to 11 percent as new cases increased from 240 to 268.
“Note that this observed spike in cases is mainly due to lower testing volume due to the recent holiday,” David said.
Meanwhile, hospital utilization remained “very low,” and that Metro Manila “remains at low risk at this time,” he added.