OCTA: Metro Manila's Covid-19 positivity rate may begin to decline this week
The Covid-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila was “almost flat” in the past seven days, an indication that the rate may begin to decline this week, an OCTA Research fellow said on Monday, May 22.
Positivity rate refers to the number of individuals who yielded positive results from among those who have been tested for Covid-19.
Although Metro Manila’s seven-day positivity rate is still categorized as “high” in the metrics used by OCTA, it was almost steady, from 25.4 percent on May 13, to 25.7 percent on May 20, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said.
He noted that high positivity rates were also observed in several provinces in Luzon, with Isabela having the highest one-week rate of 67.4 percent.
Covid-19 positivity rates in Metro Manila and some Luzon provinces as of May 20, 2023 (OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David)
The benchmark for the positivity rate set by the World Health Organization is 5 percent. Based on OCTA’s monitoring, seven-day positivity rates were high in Bataan (21.4 percent), Batangas (36.1 percent), Benguet (24.7 percent), Bulacan (24 percent), Cagayan (21.6 percent), Camarines Sur (47.9 percent), Cavite (36.6 percent), Isabela (67.4 percent), La Union (21.1 percent), Laguna (35.7 percent), Oriental Mindoro (33.3 percent), Palawan (22.8 percent), Pampanga (26.2 percent), Quezon (43.8 percent), Rizal (36 percent), and Zambales (26.6 percent). On May 21, the Department of Health reported 1,912 new Covid-19 cases across the country, of which 689 cases were recorded in Metro Manila. David projected that the country may record 1,400 to 1,600 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, May 22. He said the country’s current positivity rate is 24.1 percent, down slightly from 24.3 percent on May 20.
Covid-19 positivity rates in Metro Manila and some Luzon provinces as of May 20, 2023 (OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David)
The benchmark for the positivity rate set by the World Health Organization is 5 percent. Based on OCTA’s monitoring, seven-day positivity rates were high in Bataan (21.4 percent), Batangas (36.1 percent), Benguet (24.7 percent), Bulacan (24 percent), Cagayan (21.6 percent), Camarines Sur (47.9 percent), Cavite (36.6 percent), Isabela (67.4 percent), La Union (21.1 percent), Laguna (35.7 percent), Oriental Mindoro (33.3 percent), Palawan (22.8 percent), Pampanga (26.2 percent), Quezon (43.8 percent), Rizal (36 percent), and Zambales (26.6 percent). On May 21, the Department of Health reported 1,912 new Covid-19 cases across the country, of which 689 cases were recorded in Metro Manila. David projected that the country may record 1,400 to 1,600 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, May 22. He said the country’s current positivity rate is 24.1 percent, down slightly from 24.3 percent on May 20.