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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider OCTA hopes PH daily COVID cases may return to less than 1k by March

OCTA hopes PH daily COVID cases may return to less than 1k by March

Published Feb 9, 2022 01:03 pm

OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David (SCREEN GRAB FROM PTV FACEBOOK PAGE)

As the surge caused by the Omicron variant is already subsiding, a fellow of the OCTA Research Group is hoping that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines may return to "three digits" a day by March.

"We are hoping by March babalik na 'yan to three digits basta tuloy lang 'yung pagbaba ng bilang ng kaso at walang mangyaring spikes or major upticks (We are hoping that by March, daily cases will return to three digits as long as the number of cases continues to decrease and there are no spikes or major upticks)," OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said in the Laging Handa public briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

The Department of Health on Tuesday, Feb. 8, reported 3,574 new cases nationwide--the lowest single-day record since the start of the year.

David noted that daily cases, as well as positivity rate and health care utilization rate, are continuously on a downtrend.

"Humuhupa na talaga 'yung surge. Hindi lang 'yung bilang ng kaso ang bumababa. Bumababa rin 'yung positivity rate. Bumababa rin 'yung health care utilization natin na pinakamahalagang metric natin (The surge is really subsiding. It's not just the number of cases that is decreasing. The positivity rate is also decreasing. Our health care utilization, which is the most important metric, is also declining)," David pointed out.

He pointed out that the health care utilization rate in Metro Manila is currently at 31 percent.

"'Pag bumaba siya sa 30 percent, which could happen today or tomorrow 'yung buong NCR masasabi natin ay nasa low-risk na siya (If the health care utilization rate drops to 30 percent, which could happen today or tomorrow, the entire NCR can already be classified as low-risk)," David said.

The research group assesses the risk level of an area using the indicators of the COVID Act Now that was developed by the Harvard Global Health Institute, Apple, Microsoft, and Bloomberg.

"'Yung daily attack rate natin, which measures the levels of infection, ay bumababa. Hindi lang sa NCR, sa buong bansa ay patuloy na bumababa ang daily attack rate (Our daily attack rate, which measures the levels of infection, is decreasing. Not only in NCR, across the country the daily attack rate continues to drop)," he added.

David advised the public to continue to observe the minimum public health standards and get vaccinated or boosted against COVID-19.

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covid-19 OCTA Research Dr. Guido David
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