OCTA: NCR positivity rate now at 14.6%

The COVID-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region has climbed to 14.6%, according to independent monitoring group OCTA Research on Friday.

OCTA fellow Guido David said the daily positivity rate of the region was recorded at 14% on July 15 and jumped to 14.6% on July 20.

“It is not clear yet what is driving this change in trends. It is also not clear at this time when the peak will be reached in the NCR,” he said in a tweet.

The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

The daily positivity rate in the NCR is increasing again. It was previously at its highest on July 15 when it was at 14%. It is now at 14.6% as of July 20. We are seeing an increasing trend again, and projecting 1100 in the NCR and 3000 nationwide today July 22. #COVID19 @dzbb pic.twitter.com/5mQhfLJXJ0

— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) July 22, 2022

David projected 1,110 new COVID-19 cases for the region today, July 22.

The NCR has so far registered 10,636 new cases in the past two weeks, according to the Department of Health on Thursday.

He also projected 3,000 new cases nationwide.

“Cases are now rising in many parts of the country. The new subvariants are immune evasive. We strongly advise the public to observe caution,” he said.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, David stressed that vaccines remain effective against the virus as shown by the country’s low number of severe and critical cases.

“‘Yun ang magandang balita. So epektibo pa rin ‘yung bakuna. Kahit may immune evasion itong mga variant na ito… pero effective sila dahil ‘yung severe ay kaonti na lang. Hindi ka mamatay, hindi ka rin mao-ospital,” David said.

(That’s the good news. Vaccines remain effective. Even if the variants have immune evasion, the vaccines remain effective because we have a low number of severe cases. You will not die, you will not get hospitalized.)

He also urged the public to get their booster shots as the immunity offered by the vaccines wanes over time.

At present, the country has logged a total of 3,741,987 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 22,207 remain active and 60,641 have succumbed to the illness. — RSJ, GMA News