DOH monitors 488 clustering of COVID-19 cases nationwide

The Department of Health (DOH) said there were 488 clustering of COVID-cases across the country as of Wednesday.

According to the DOH, 379 of the clusters were monitored in communities, 46 in health facilities, 24 in jails, and 39 in "other areas."

From Monday to Wednesday, the DOH said 35 new clusters were reported — 32 in communities, one in health facilities, one in jail, and one in other areas.

The DOH said an increase in cases in the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)and a construction site, as well as continuous clustering in several barangays.

“The event-based surveillance report showed the following: NCR had 6 new barangays with clustering, 1 in Cebu City, 1 in Mandaue City, 1 in Palawan, and 1 in Albay,” it said in a statement.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Tuesday said the recent increase in COVID-19 cases was due to clustering of cases and community transmission. As of Wednesday, the country has a total of 50,359 COVID-19 cases.

In another briefing on Thursday, Vergeire said the DOH has identified 379 clusters within communities and 46 other clusters in health facilities as of July 8.

Clustering within communities was observed in the following regions:

• Metro Manila - 122 clusters
• Central Visayas - 114 clusters
• Eastern Visayas - 35 clusters
• Calabarzon - 34 clusters
• Davao Region - 14 clusters
• Central Luzon - 13 clusters
• Western Visayas - 13 clusters
• CARAGA - 8 clusters
• Bicol Region - 6 clusters
• BARMM - 5 clusters
• Zamboanga Peninsula - 4 clusters

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• Northern Mindanao - 4 clusters
• MIMAROPA - 3 clusters
• CAR - 2 clusters
• SOCCSKSKARGEN - 2 clusters

The clusters inside health facilities were identified in the following areas:

• Metro Manila - 29 clusters
• Eastern Visayas - 6 clusters
• Bicol Region - 2 clusters
• Central Luzon - 2 clusters
• CAR - 2 clusters
• Central Visayas - 1 cluster
• Cagayan Valley - 1 cluster
• Calabarzon - 1 cluster
• Davao Region - 1 cluster
• Western Visayas - 1 cluster

Vergeire said the new cases are not attributed to improved testing anymore. With the evident transmission of the disease, she advised the public to be more cautious.

“This is not just because we are testing more but because there are really clustering of cases that we have been identifying for these past days,” she said.

“And also, there is really community transmission. This is not just because we are testing more, but this is really a result of community transmission.”

Vergeire said they are looking into the different clustering of cases across different areas of the country to observe them closely, with the help of local government units.

Of the 50,359 total COVID,19 cases, 12,588 have recovered while 1,314 have died, according to the DOH. —KBK/LDF, GMA News