NCR Covid-19 cases increasing but still under ‘low risk’

FILE: Commuters waiting for provincial buses flock at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Parañaque City, two days before Christmas on Thursday (Dec. 23, 2021). (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)

MANILA – Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in Metro Manila have increased but it is still under low risk case classification and will remain at Alert Level 1.

In a virtual press briefing Wednesday, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said an area will be escalated to Alert Level 2 once its infection risk reaches “moderate” level with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of six cases per day per 100,000 population or its total bed utilization rate have reached moderate risk.

“Nananatili po ang National Capital Region sa Alert Level 1 status dahil tayo ay nasa low risk case classification pa rin na may average daily attack rate na one case per 100,000 population (The NCR is at Alert Level 1 status because we remain under low risk classification and has an ADAR of one case per 100,000 population),” she said.

Cases in Metro Manila has been increasing since mid-May and have climbed to more than 100 cases per day in June 2022.

While cases showed a slight increase in the past week, the trend was not sustained in other areas except Metro Manila.

The rest of Luzon and Visayas, except Mindanao, also showed an uptick in cases but remains low at less than 60 cases per day, she said.

Nationwide, at least 1,889 new cases from June 7 to June 13 were recorded, with the current positivity rate at 1.9 percent.

Vergeire noted that other areas remain under Alert Level 2 since they “have not met their vaccination targets” yet.

“Para makababa sa Alert Level 1 status, kinakailangan ng full vaccination coverage of at least 70 percent ng kanilang targeted population at senior citizens (One of the prerequisites for Alert Level 1 is to have full vaccination coverage for at least 70 percent of its targeted population and senior citizens),” she said.