DOH monitors ‘notable’ spike of Covid-19 cases

AP file
AP file

THE Department of Health (DOH) has noted a “notable increase” in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the country but its healthcare utilization rate remains at low-risk classification.

DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, that the country logged 3,198 cases from June 14 to 20, or an average of 456 daily cases, which is closely similar to the number of infections reported in the third week of February, when the country is experiencing a surge brought about by the Omicron variant.

But she said the country’s average daily attack rate remains at low risk, at less than one percent per 100,000 population.

Vergeire said there is a sharp increase of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR), where the average daily cases in the recent week already went over 200.

In a radio interview on Wednesday, June 22, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Covid-19 cases in NCR may reach as high as 2,000 during the peak of the projected surge based on the study conducted by the Australian Tuberculosis Modelling Network.

“But after that peak sometime in July, siguro by mid-July or end of July, babalik ‘yan, magpa-plateau na ‘yan doon sa 800 to about 1,200,” he said.

Vergeire said they also monitored a slight increase in cases in the rest of Luzon and Visayas, but the number remained less than 80 cases per day over the past week.

She said cases in Mindanao remain to be plateauing with small increases but still at less than 40 average daily cases in the last seven days.

“With this, the national positivity rate has increased to 3.1 percent similar to rates in the first half of March this year,” said Vergeire.

She said, though, that the country’s health care utilization rate remains at low risk with 14.61 percent to 17.82 percent occupancy.

Out of the total of 5,413 admissions as of June 19, Vergeire said 1,098 were asymptomatic, 2,038 were mild, 1,723 were moderate and only 367 were severe and 187 were critical.

Vergeire said the increase in cases may be attributed to the increase in mobility following the easing of quarantine status, the detection of highly transmissible Omicron subvariant and the waning immunity from previous infection or from Covid-19 vaccine.

She said there is no need for the public to panic, but the uptick in cases calls for the strict adherence to minimum public health protocols, as well as for the strengthening of vaccination drives in the communities. (SunStar Philippines)

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