OCTA: Record high new COVID-19 cases reported in 7 cities outside NCR

The surge of COVID-19 cases in most highly urbanized cities (HUCs) outside the National Capital Region (NCR) has not peaked yet despite some of them recording the highest number, OCTA Research said Monday.

Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said Bacolod, Baguio, Butuan, Davao City, General Santos, Iloilo City, and Mandaue recorded the highest number of new cases on January 23.

Davao City recorded the highest with 1,831 new cases, followed by Baguio City with 902, and Cebu City with 846.

Meanwhile, Baguio City recorded the highest average daily attack rate at 161.90 per 100,000 population, followed by Iloilo City at 95.84, and Cebu at 63.64.

According to David, NCR recorded 5,433 new cases and had an ADAR of 61.43.

Meanwhile, during the Laging Handa briefing, David said they have recorded improvements in the COVID-19 growth and reproduction rates in the NCR, as well as in its adjacent provinces of Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan.

“Actually, -4% noong isang araw pero kahapon -50% na eh so bumababa pa talaga ang growth rate at ‘yung reproduction number nasa 1.03 na lang sa Metro Manila,” David said.

Reproduction rate refers to the number of people infected by one case. A reproduction number that is below 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down.

(Actually, the growth rate in NCR was at -4% the other day and yesterday, it was at -50% so it is really decreasing. The reproduction number is at 1.03 in Metro Manila.)

David said the highest recorded number of cases in NCR was about 18,700 on January 10. The cases remained high until January 15 but has gone down ever since.

If the cases continue to decrease, there might be less than 1,000 cases recorded in NCR by Valentine’s Day or mid-February, he added.

According to the DOH, 13 areas in the country are at critical risk classification for COVID-19 while only four are at high-risk classification for COVID-19.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency is observing several areas that have recorded increasing healthcare utilization such as the Cordillera Administrative Region and Region VIII.

Vergeire said CAR had an inadequate number of hospital beds.

“Kaya konting pasok lang po ng mga pasyente, madali po napupuno ang kanilang mga ospital [That’s why even if only a few patients get admitted, their hospitals get full],” Vergeire told CNN Philippines.

The DOH has previously observed an increase in the number of cases in all regions in the Philippines.

The Philippines on Sunday logged 29,828 new cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 3,417,216 and total active cases to 273,580. —with Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA News