Philippines now at moderate risk for COVID-19 —DOH

The Philippines has dropped to a moderate risk classification for COVID-19 from a high risk classification, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country has recorded a negative one-week and two-week growth rate.

Though the average daily attack rate in the Philippines is still at high risk, it has dropped to 19.93 cases per every 100,000 individuals.

Vergeire said both the national health systems capacity, total beds, and ICU beds are at low risk.

“So tayo ay talagang nagmu-move na towards itong decline na ito. So hopefully tuloy-tuloy po tayo,” Vergeire said at a media forum.

(So we are really moving on towards the decline in the number of cases. Hopefully it will continue that way.)

The Philippines on Tuesday logged 9,493 new COVID-19 cases. 

Plateauing in Visayas, Mindanao

Vergeire said the DOH had observed a plateauing of cases in the Visayas and some areas in Mindanao.

“If we look at the trends in the number of cases… nag pla-plateau na. In Visayas, bumabagal na ‘yung pagtaas ng kaso sa kanila, hindi na masyadong nag a-uptick ‘yung numero ng kaso,” she said.

“Sa Mindanao, may mga piling lugar katulad ng Caraga at saka Region XII kung saan medyo nagkakaroon ng pagtaas ang pag utilize ng kanilang mga kama,” she added.

Vergeire said a decline was also observed in Region III, IV-A, and NCR.

Meanwhile, the national positivity rate has decreased from 46.8%  to 35.4%.

“Gayon din po ang ating hospital utilization rate ay under control dahil karamihan sa ating mga covid-19 cases ay banayad o mild lamagn ang mga sintomas na maari namang gamutin sa bahay,” Vergeire said. —KBK/NB, GMA News