4 Luzon cities now ‘very low’ risk for Covid-19: OCTA

MANILA – Four highly-urbanized cities (HUCs) in Luzon are now classified “very low risk” for Covid-19, the OCTA Research Group said Monday.

Over Twitter, OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the cities of Angeles in Pampanga, Dagupan in Pangasinan, Lucena in Quezon and Olongapo in Zambales have negative growth rates in new infections, ranging from –30 percent to –62 percent.

Data from the Department of Health as of March 6 showed that the average daily attack rate (ADAR) in Angeles is 0.48; Dagupan, 0.55; Lucena, 0.35 and Olongapo, 0.44.

ADAR is the seven-day average number of new cases per 100,000 individuals.

Angeles’ reproduction number or the number of individuals a case could infect is 0.48; Dagupan, 0.55; Lucena, 0.35; and Olongapo, 0.44.

Positivity rate, the number of people who test positive for Covid-19 in a certain area, in Angeles is 2 percent; Dagupan, 2 percent; Lucena, 2 percent; and Olongapo, 3 percent.

The healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) of the four cities is also classified as “very low”, ranging from only 1 percent to 19 percent.

“The National Capital Region, Baguio City, Naga City and Santiago were at low risk. Puerto Princesa remained at moderate risk due to the very high testing positivity rate,” David said.

Puerto Princesa’s positivity rate is 38 percent while its ADAR is classified as low at 1.68; reproduction number is low at 0.48; and HCUR is also low at 23 percent.