DOH sees increase in COVID-19 cases in 14 Alert Level 1 areas

The Department of Health is seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in 14 areas under Alert Level 1, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Monday.

Duque made the report on President Rodrigo Duterte's Talk to the People after the Catholic observance of Holy Week, amid the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan, and the ongoing Eleksyon 2022 campaign.

"Nakakita na naman tayo ng dahan-dahan na bahagyang pagtaas ng mga kaso sa 14 na mga lugar under Alert Level 1," Duque said.

"Binibigyan po natin ng paulit-ulit na paalala, at maraming salamaty po Mr. President, dahil nasunod ang taong bayan sa disiplanong pagtalima sa minimum public health standards," he added.

Level 1 is the most relaxed in the country's alert system as regards the threat of COVID-19.

According to Duque's presentation, the top regions with new cases from April 12 to 18 are the National Capital Region with 606; Region 4A, 226; and Region 3, 181.

For the same period, the top areas with new cases are Cavite with 101; Manila, 92; and Quezon City, 82.

There were 170 new cases reported on Monday, the lowest daily tally this year and the lowest since Dec. 21, when 168 daily infections were recorded

The country’s active cases further decreased to 19,923, with the nationwide tally now at 3,683,211.

Data also shows that 664 severe and critical cases are currently admitted in hospitals due to COVID-19.

Of the 2,842 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 450 or 15.8% were occupied. Meanwhile 4,164 or 16.9% of the 24,645 non-ICU COVID-19 beds were in use. -NB, GMA News