Duque: Alert Level 2 in NCR still ‘too early’ amid increase in COVID-19 infections

It might be too early to determine if the reported increase in coronavirus infections would cause a significant impact on the public health and security status in the National Capital Region (NCR), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Duque explained that the Health Department should monitor the country’s two-week growth and average daily attack rate per hundred thousand population first to determine if there’s a need to put NCR into a higher alert level.

The capital region is currently under Alert Level 1 — the most relaxed among the five-tier COVID-19 alert levels — until end of this month.

“Mag-aantay pa tayo hanggang makita natin yung risk classification ay tataas kasi nasa low-risk classification pa rin tayo,” Duque said.

(We still need to wait until we see if there is an increase in the risk classification because right now, we’re still in the low-risk classification.)

“Kapag ka ito ay nag-moderate risk, ibig sabihin ay either high-risk na yung ating two-week growth rate or parehong moderate rate risk ‘yung two-week growth rate at ating average daily attack rate per hundred thousand population. Kumbaga ‘yan ‘yung gauge natin kung meron bang basis for an escalation to Alert Level 2,” he said.

(If it is heightened into moderate risk, that means our two-week growth rate is at high-risk or both our two-week growth rate and average daily at per hundred thousand population. Those are our bases to gauge if there’s a need to escalate our Alert Level into 2.)

“Sa ngayon wala pa at lalong di pa naapektuhan yung ating healthcare utilization rate na as of Wednesday, nasa less than 20 percent.’ ‘Yung ating non-ICU bed capacity, 17% (samantalang) nasa 16% yung ICU high capacity. Mababa pa ito,” he added.

(As of now, we’re still not seeing its effect, especially in our healthcare utilization rate. As of Wednesday, we’re still at less than 20 percent. For our ICU bed capacity, we’re at 17 percent while for ICU high-capacity we’re at 16 percent. It is still low.)

OCTA Research earlier reported that it observed a 19% increase in the daily average COVID-19 cases in the capital region in the past seven days.

The independent monitoring group said cases during the May 13 to 19 period went up to 71 from 59 recording during the May 6 to 12 period.

NCR's reproduction number, which refers to the number of people infected by one case, also increased to 0.90, which is considered “moderate,” from 0.76, which is considered low.

A reproduction number that is below 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slow.

Omicron BA.2.12.1 variant

Meanwhile, Duque said the Philippines did not detect further cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 apart from the 17 reported infections this week.

He appealed to the public to avail their booster shots and those under the A1 and A2 priority groups to get their second booster shots.

As of May 20, the Philippines has administered a total of 148, 929, 189 coronavirus vaccines. Of which, 68, 912, 256 individuals completed their doses while 66, 246, 467 are awaiting their second shot. A total of 13, 770, 466, meanwhile, have received their booster doses. — RSJ, GMA News