NCR, Region 9 show positive 1-week COVID-19 growth rates –DOH

The National Capital Region (NCR) and the Zamboanga Peninsula have shown an increase in COVID-19 cases the past week, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the NCR remained at minimal risk classification with a negative 2-week growth rate and an average daily attack rate of 0.69 per 100,000 individuals.

The region's one-week growth rate, however, stood at 49%.

“In the National Capital Region, the daily cases in the recent week showed an increase of 38 or 49% of cases from the previous week, now averaging at 115 cases per day,” Vergeire said in a media briefing.

According to Vergeire, an increase in positivity rate was also observed in NCR and Calabarzon compared to the previous week.

The positivity rate in NCR rose to 1.5% from 0.7%, while the positivity rate in Calabarzon rose to 0.9% from the previous week's 0.6%.

Meanwhile, the country’s positivity rate also increased to 1.3% from 0.9%

“If we plot the historical positivity rate per region based on patients’ address, as of December 25, we have observed that the positivity rate across all regions remains to be less than 5%,” Vergeire said.

The Philippines and all regions remain at minimal risk classification.

DOH flags 8 areas with positive growth rates

Meanwhile, the DOH flagged eight areas that have recorded positive one-week and two-week growth rates.

“Five are from the National Capital Region, two are from Region 11, and one from the Cordillera Administrative Region,” Vergeire said.

According to Vergeire, 31 provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities have also recorded positive one-week growth rates.

“Note that these areas mostly have less than 100 active cases. We are flagging these said areas so these increases can be immediately controlled,” Vergeire said.

“All of these areas have low-risk utilization rates,” she later added. — DVM, GMA News