DILG sees no basis to raise alert levels after NCR positivity hit over 5%

There is still no basis to raise alert levels in the country over the increase in COVID-19 cases over the Christmas holidays, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Wednesday.

Año told GMA News Online that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases had yet to tackle the matter.

“So far wala pa naman basis (It has no basis so far),” Año said.

“The IATF has yet to meet on this. On our end, we will strictly implement the compliance to minimum public health standards and prevent super spreader events,” he added.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David on Tuesday expressed concern after the daily positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) increased to over 5%.

The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

David warned that the spike could be more than just "a holiday uptick”.

“There is now concern that this is not just a holiday uptick. Please be advised that the situation is changing in the NCR and we must now be very mindful of minimum public health standards,” he said. —NB, GMA News