The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positivity rate in Metro Manila has reached 50.5 percent on Jan. 7--the first time it exceeded 50 percent in the region--the independent research group OCTA said on Sunday, Jan. 9.

In an update posted on Twitter, OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David projected 17,000 COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and 27,000 cases in the country per day.

However, he noted that the increase in positivity rate could be slowing down and may reach its peak soon, based on the Department of Health's data.

"We will know in the next few days if the positivity rate is indeed slowing down or if this is just an artificial effect," David pointed out.

"If the increase in positivity rate is slowing down, then the peak in the NCR (National Capital Region) might occur within the week. Let us hope that this is the case," he said.

David also noted that the average daily attack rates or incidence rates of COVID-19 in Metro Manila and Cainta, Rizal have exceeded 50 cases per day per 100,000 population over the past week.

OCTA's monitoring also showed that the number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila has significantly increased by 785 percent--from 957 on Dec. 26, 2021-Jan. 1, 2022, to 8,468 on Jan. 2-8, 2022.

Meanwhile, higher growth rates--exceeding 1,000 percent--were registered in some areas in Southern and Central Luzon over the past week.

These were Calamba, Laguna (1,750 percent); Malolos, Bulacan (1,633 percent); San Fernando City, Pampanga (1,600 percent); Antipolo City (1,523 percent); San Mateo, Rizal (1,480 percent); Gen. Trias, Cavite (1,388 percent); Santa Maria, Bulacan (1,375 percent); Biñan, Laguna (1,350 percent); Cainta, Rizal (1,343 percent); Santa Rosa, Laguna (1,333 percent); San Jose del Monte, Bulacan (1,320 percent); Meycauayan, Bulacan (1,240 percent); Rodriguez, Rizal (1,217 percent); Bacoor City (1,182 percent); and Imus, Cavite (1,150 percent).