PH pandemic situation ‘fragile’ despite low risk status

MANILA – The country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) situation remains “fragile” despite a low risk classification, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday.

The low risk classification is based on parameters that the country can manage its cases but it doesn’t mean that the public should be complacent in following health protocols.

“Sa national picture, yes, it will show us na nasa low risk tayo based on the two-week growth rate and the average daily attack rate (ADR) pero kapag tiningnan ang bawat region ng bansa, makikita natin na may mga region talaga ngayon na may pagtaas ng kaso (In the national picture, yes, it will show us that we’re at low risk based on the two-week growth rate and the average daily attack rate but if we’re to look closer, there are regions with increasing cases),” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in the Laging Handa briefing.

She agreed with research group OCTA that the country must remain vigilant to further lower the country’s infections, with 53,665 active cases as of July 3.

READ: PH at ‘low risk’ with -9% 2-week growth rate in Covid cases

Even in the National Capital Region (NCR), Vergeire said the decline in infections is slightly slowing down but cases outside can affect the region because its borders are “very porous”.

Currently under closely monitoring are cases in the Visayas and Regions 11, 12, Caraga, and Bangsamoro in Mindanao.

The DOH is also observing the situation in some parts of Luzon, particularly Lucena City in Calabarzon, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera Administrative Region where there is a high health care utilization rate.

On Thursday, DOH Epidemiology Bureau OIC-Director Alethea de Guzman said the country’s risk classification has been reduced to low after logging a minus 9 percent growth rate in terms of reported cases and 5.42 ADAR on June 13 to 26.

From March 30 to June 12, the country’s growth rate was 15 percent and its ADAR was 5.96, but OCTA Research said an ADAR should be less than 1 percent to be considered low risk.