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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider COVID-19 cases in NCR may exceed 4,000 daily by end of March -- OCTA

COVID-19 cases in NCR may exceed 4,000 daily by end of March -- OCTA

Published Mar 12, 2021 04:20 pm

Metro Manila is projected to have over 4,000 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases per day by the end of March due to faster increase in new cases recorded daily, OCTA Research Team said in its latest report released on Friday, March 12.

In its weekly monitoring report, the research group noted a "faster trend" in the number of new COVID-19 cases being registered per day in Metro Manila.

"In the February 17 report, the number of new COVID-19 cases in NCR (National Capital Region) was projected to reach 2,000 on March 22. It appears that the current trend is faster, as the region tallied nearly 2,000 cases on March 11, 11 days earlier than projected," OCTA said.

The faster increase in new cases was attributed to the rise in reproduction number, currently 1.86, compared to 1.6 used in the original projections.

Based on the latest projection, OCTA said the number of new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila is estimated to exceed 4,000 per day by end of March.

The group emphasized the importance of curbing the spread of the disease to avoid having high number of new cases and overwhelming the hospitals in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, such as Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan.

OCTA said localized lockdowns have been shown to be effective in slowing down increasing trends in new cases.

It also recommended the reimposition of additional restrictions, such as curfews, border controls, reduced capacity in certain establishments, limitations in social gatherings, and continued compliance with health protocols by residents, as well as continued monitoring and strict implementation by local governments, which may help slow down the rate of infection in Metro Manila.

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