OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David on Monday, Aug. 22, said that 10 Luzon provinces continued to register “very high” or above 20 percent Covid-19 positivity rates over the past week.

Positivity rate refers to the number of individuals who yielded positive results from among those who were tested for Covid-19.

In an update shared on Twitter, David said the provinces that had very high positivity rates, as of Aug. 20, were:

Nueva Ecija — 49.1 percent

Camarines Sur — 47.6 percent

Tarlac — 40.4 percent

Isabela — 39.5 percent

Cagayan — 35.7 percent

Albay — 31 percent

La Union — 24.9 percent

Pampanga — 22.8 percent

Laguna — 21.4 percent

Benguet — 20.9 percent

Moreover, David noted that positivity rates have significantly increased in Cagayan (from 31.1 percent to 35.7 percent), Ilocos Norte (from 11.4 percent to 15 percent), and Nueva Ecija (from 43.2 percent to 49.1 percent).

The World Health Organization has recommended that the Covid-19 positivity rate should remain at 5 percent or lower. A positivity rate lower than 5 percent indicates that the spread of the virus has been contained.

David earlier urged residents in areas with very high positivity rates to continue to observe minimum health protocols.

“In provinces where the positivity rate is very high, i.e. above 20 percent, the public is strongly advised to practice necessary caution to prevent Covid infection,” he said.