OCTA says new COVID-19 cases in NCR doubled overnight

OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David said on Monday that the new COVID-19 infections more than doubled in Metro Manila in two days but added it could be the result of a backlog in the release of test results.

In a tweet, David said cases in the metropolis grew from 2,008 on Sunday, January 30, 2022 to 4,040 on Monday.

"4,040 in the NCR today. I hope AL2 was not premature. If this is not backlog, this is a resurgence of sorts. We need to follow health protocols," he wrote.

In a separate tweet, David noted that the sudden spike could be a backlog of cases. He further said the positivity rate in the region declined to 17%.

"Let's not panic in NCR yet. Right now the most likely explanation for the spike is backlog. As per @RicoMiranda2430, DOH warned about backlog. Also, cases don't just spike in all LGUs just like that. It usually starts with a few LGUs," he said.

Let's not panic in NCR yet. Right now the most likely explanation for the spike is backlog. As per @RicoMiranda2430, DOH warned about backlog. Also, cases don't just spike in all LGUs just like that. It usually starts with a few LGUs. Lastly, the positivity rate is down to 17%

— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) January 31, 2022

The DOH was asked to comment whether the sudden spike in Metro Manila are backlogs of cases but has yet to reply as of posting.

The OCTA Research Group earlier noted that the actual COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila may be 1.8 times higher than the reported numbers by health authorities, citing positivity rate at public transport.

As this happened, Malacañang had announced it would roll out COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years old next month to protect younger kids who are vulnerable to COVID-19. —NB, GMA News