DAVAO CITY – The number of Covid-19 cases slightly increased in the Davao region from 454 in February to 803 in March. In a press briefing on Wednesday, April 12, Dr. Gerna Manatad, Department of Health-Davao assistant regional director, said that the situation is manageable and assured the public that the current facilities for Covid patients in the region are sufficient and not overburdened. “We are at a very much controlled number of cases,” she said. Manatad said the utilization rate for health care facilities devoted to confirmed Covid-19 cases and symptomatic patients is still at moderate risk. Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao, said that the agency is closely monitoring the Covid-19 cases. She said active cases are manifesting mild symptoms only. The region has a positivity rate of 12.2 percent which is way above the five percent acceptable positivity rate of the World Health Organization. Pasion said an increase was noted for the month of March with a total of 803 cases from 454 in February. However, a 1.32 percent decline was logged in the weekly data of DOH-Davao between March 27 to April 2 and April 3 to 9, Pasion said. She said that as of April 10, Davao region has 358 active cases – 208 in Davao City, 53 in Davao de Oro, 37 in Davao Oriental, 27 in Davao del Sur, 21 in Davao del Norte, and 12 in Davao Occidental. The increase could have been caused by the recent activities during Araw ng Dabaw in March, Health officials said.