DOH identifies over 1,200 COVID-19 clusters across the Philippines

The Department of Health said Monday that it had identified 1,245 clusters of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

According to the DOH's data, 1,054 or nearly 85 percent of the clusters were found in communities, followed by 68 clusters in hospitals or health facilities, 30 in jails and prisons, and 93 in unspecified other settings.

The National Capital Region, Region 4A, Region 7, and Region 3 had the most areas with a clustering of cases as of August 16.

A total of 411 clusters were reported in Metro Manila, 216 in Region 4A, 176 in Region 7, and 68 in Region 3.

In the four regions, the highest numbers of clusters were found in communities.

The World Health Organization defines clusters of cases as a transmission category in which areas experience cases "clustered in time, geographic location and/or by common exposures."

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said last July that the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country at the time was because of the clustering of cases and community transmission, not improved testing.

Health authorities recorded 161,253 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines as of Sunday. This number includes over 112,000 recoveries and more than 2,600 deaths. — DVM, GMA News