OCTA: COVID-19 cases in NCR may have already peaked with positivity rate plunging to 16.4%

Coronavirus infections in the National Capital Region (NCR) may have already peaked with the weekly positivity rate dropping to 16.4% as of Friday, independent monitoring group OCTA Research said.

In a tweet on Sunday, OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said that NCR’s positivity rate went down to 16.4% on August 12 from 17.5% on August 6.

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

The NCR weekly positivity rate decreased to 16.4% as of August 12 from 17.5% as of August 6. This is the first time in the current wave the weekly positivity rate decreased, and it gives us optimism that cases in the NCR may have already peaked. #COVID19 @dzbb @DZAR1026 @News5PH pic.twitter.com/yli68RycOp

— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) August 14, 2022

David pointed out that such decline was the first occurrence in the current COVID-19 wave.

“This is the first time in the current wave the weekly positivity rate decreased, and it gives us optimism that cases in the NCR may have already peaked,” he said.

Despite this, David said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview that the COVID-19 cases are still increasing in the NCR which now has a growth rate of 5%.

“‘Yung cases medyo tumataas pa rin nasa 5% pa rin ‘yung nakikitang growth rate sa Metro Manila. Mababa na ito kasi 5% lang, dati as high as mga 50% growth rate ‘yan. So, ibig sabihin baka malapit na tayo sa peak,” he said.

(The cases are still slightly increasing as the growth rate in Metro Manila is still around 5%. This is low compared to the growth rate before which was as high as 50%. This means we may be close to the peak.)

Quezon City

Meanwhile, the Quezon City government said on Saturday that their COVID-19 positivity rate increased from 15.2% to 17.9%, citing OCTA’s data from August 2 to August 8.

The recorded new COVID-19 cases in the city also went up from 245 to 279 over the same period.

QC’s reproduction number or the number of people infected by one case, however, decreased to 1.23.

“Nanatili pa rin sa MODERATE RISK LEVEL ang lungsod dahil sa pagtaas ng risk exposure sa COVID-19,” the QC government said.

(The city remains at moderate risk level due to increased risk exposure to COVID-19.)

David also said that aside from QC, they are also monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Cagayan, Isabela, Pangasinan, Camarines Sur, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and several other areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippines on Saturday recorded a total of 4,679 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its active caseload to 40,324. —LBG, GMA News