Dumaguete area of 'most serious concern' due to COVID-19 case growth —OCTA

Outside of Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces, Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental is the “area of most serious concern” due to its high COVID-19 case growth rate, the OCTA Research group said Monday.

In its latest monitoring report, the independent team of experts said Dumaguete logged a 129% one-week case growth rate and an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 69.85 cases per 100,000 population during June 7 to 13, making it “extremely high risk” for COVID-19.

Areas with more than seven cases per 100,000 population are classified as high risk by the Department of Health (DOH).

OCTA also said 68% of hospital beds and 84% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds were occupied in Dumaguete.

Meanwhile, the group flagged Iloilo City, Butuan, Tacloban, and Polomolok over their increasing COVID-19 cases, high hospital occupancy rates, and ADAR.

The hospital bed occupancy rates in all of these areas were in the high risk category at more than 70%. In Iloilo City, 99% of ICU beds were in use.

OCTA also said Tagum, Legazpi City, and Tagbilaran were emerging COVID-19 hotspots due to their “rapid” one-week case growth rates or “very high” ADAR.

ICU occupancy was also above 85% or in the critical level in Davao City (92%), Iloilo City (99%), General Santos City (92%), Tuguegarao (100%), and Koronadal (100%).

The DOH has said that there are plans to set up modular hospitals and additional temporary treatment and monitoring facilities in areas in Visayas and Mindanao that are seeing a spike in infections. 

Regions with an increasing number of cases will also get more COVID-19 vaccines, the DOH said. 

The Philippines has 1,315,639 COVID-19 cases with 1,232,986 recoveries and 22,788 deaths as of Sunday afternoon. —KBK, GMA News