The country remains low-risk case classification despite having a steady uptrend in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions as well severe and critical cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday, Aug. 12.
In a press briefing, Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that the country has an average daily attack rate (ADAR) na 3.51 cases per 100,000 population with national and most regions showing case increases in recent 1 to 2 weeks
She disclosed that most areas are at a continuous uptrend. She mentioned that the Plus areas and Mindanao have shown a slight increase in Covid-19 cases while the rest of Luzon and Visayas have shown signs of plateauing in recent days.
The National Capital Region (NCR) has shown a slight downward trend with almost 1,300 cases per day and remains under moderate-risk case classification along with CAR with an ADAR of 9.17 and 7.96 per 100,000 population The remaining regions are at low-risk case classification. However, Region 2 and Region 4-A are about to hit the ADAR threshold which is currently at 4.52 at 5.09 respectively. The remaining regions have recorded an ADAR ranging from 1 to 3 cases per 100,000 population.
ICU utilization
"We now observe a steady uptrend in both ICU admissions and severe and critical Covid-19 admissions at the national level starting early July 2022," Vergeire said.
Currently, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's (BARMM) ICU utilization is at high-risk with one severe and critical case which is 1.18 percent of its total Covid-19 admissions.
Two areas namely Regions 6 and 11 are about to reach the threshold of its healthcare system's capacity with an ICU utilization rate of more than 40 percent.
Due to these, Vergeire said that the national positivity rate slightly grew from 18 percent last week to 18.5 percent now.
According to her, current figures of the ICU as well as the severe and critical Covid-19 admissions is the same as the level of admissions back in March. As of Aug. 10, there are 871 or 9.27 percent total admissions for severe at critical cases.
Meanwhile, Vergeire mentioned that while the ICU utilization rate increased by two percent which is now at 28 percent, it's still at low-risk. She added that the majority of national admissions remains asymptomatic at 14.98 percent of total admissions while mild Covid-19 cases comprise 40.77 percent.