Baguio City no longer a high-risk area

BAGUIO City is out of the list of high-risk areas for coronavirus (Covid-19) transmission, based on the latest Octa Research released Monday, November 30, 2020.

The Octa team marked the exit of the city from both high risk and areas of concern for coronavirus infections.

“Among provinces, commendable was the improvement seen in Benguet province (Baguio City in particular) and Cebu province (Cebu City in particular), where weekly cases have dropped,” Octa said.

The research team believes what citizens do moving forward will be more important than any intervention by the government in the fight against Covid-19.

“Hence, we appeal to our citizens to continue to do their share by being vigilant and disciplined in following the minimum health standards set by the DOH. We also appeal to our citizens to avoid not just crowded and enclosed areas but also to refrain from joining or organizing social gatherings this Christmas season," Octa said.

"We encourage the government and LGUs (local government units) to enforce the current GCQ (general community quarantine) limit of 10 persons per gathering in the NCR (National Capital Region) and to discourage office parties and other social events, especially as we approach the Christmas season. Family gatherings should be limited in size and should be celebrated outside to mitigate transmission,” added Octa.

The Octa team is an independent and interdisciplinary research group composed primarily of University of the Philippines faculty members and alumni. The team also includes contributors from the University of Santo Tomas and Providence College, USA

A word of caution was given by the team of experts on areas on the list from data gathered from November 22 to 28 to NCR, Davao Del Sur Quezon, Negros Occidental, Pampanga, Bulacan, Misamis Oriental and Western Samar.

“Based on the available data, it is becoming clear to us that the increase in new cases in many places around the country is largely community transmission exacerbated by the rise in mobility due to the opening up of the economy coupled by the deteriorating compliance with the minimum health standard by citizens due to pandemic fatigue. In some places, the situation is further exacerbated by the effects of the recent typhoons (including delays in test reports due to the temporary closing of test centers),” the Octa team added.

Octa said the rise in the reproduction number in the NCR, while a cause of concern, is not surprising. The situation in the NCR, however, is still manageable and should not be a cause for alarm.

The numbers in the report argue for continued vigilance and caution by all in the fight against Covid-19.

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