‘BUT NOT CAST IN STONE’

DOH: Active COVID-19 cases in NCR may range from 152K-330K by end-September

Metro Manila could see up to 330,000 active COVID-19 cases by the end of September, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

In a statement, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that based on a “set of assumptions,” total active cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) for September 30 could be between 152,000 and 330,000.

“However, this is not cast in stone,” she said.

The DOH reported 46,666 active cases in the NCR on Thursday.

Vergeire also said the Philippines remained to be at high-risk case classification with a moderate risk two-week growth rate (TWGR) at 30% and high-risk average daily attack rate (ADAR), which increased to 17.14 cases for every 100,000 individuals.

“A decrease in TWGR is seen nationally and in six regions which are NCR, Regions 4A, 2, and 3. Region 7 and 10 now show a negative TWGR,” she said.

“However, it is important to note that while the TWGR decreased, it still showed positive growth meaning numbers are still increasing, albeit at a slower rate.”

The DOH earlier suggested the implementation of strict granular lockdowns and to shorten the interval between detection and isolation, enforce compliance to the minimum public health standards, and ramp up vaccination efforts to protect the vulnerable population to address the surge in cases.

Metro Manila will be under modified enhanced community quarantine until September 15. A pilot general community quarantine with alert level system is expected to be implemented from September 16 to 30. — RSJ, GMA News