Eight areas in Metro Manila and 20 others in several regions have been put under Alert Level 4 due to the high number of COVID-19 cases and their high hospital occupancy rate.
The announcement from the Department of Health (DOH) came as 10,623 new COVID-19 cases were reported, the highest in almost four months.
Alert Level 4 means an area has been classified as a moderate- to critical-risk with a health care utilization rate higher than 70 percent.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the eight Metro Manila areas under Alert Level 4 are Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, Malabon, Makati, and San Juan.
Other areas under the same alert level were Cordillera – Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet; Region 1- Ilocos Norte; Region 2 – Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino; Region 3 – Angeles City, Bataan, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac; Region 4A – Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City; Region 6 – Iloilo, Iloilo City; Region 7 – Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City; Region 8 – Tacloban City; Region 10 – Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin; Region 11 – Davao City; and Region 12 – General Santos City.
The announcement came on the first day of a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila to prevent the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.
The DOH also said the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant has been detected in all cities in the capital region.
Vergeire explained that the alert levels are based on COVID-19 transmission and the hospital occupancy of an area, as well as the presence of the Delta variant.
Alert Level 1 means transmission is low and decreasing, and that hospital occupancy is low, and there is no Delta variant case in an area. These areas are at minimal to low risk, have a negative two-week case growth rate (TWGR) and health care utilization rate lower than 50 percent.
Areas under Alert Level 1 are: Region 4B – Palawan; Region 5 – Camarines, Norte, Albay; Region 7 – Negros Oriental; Region 8 – Biliran; Region 9 – Zamboanga Sibugay; and BARMM – Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan.
Alert Level 2 means transmission is low and decreasing, HCUR is low, but a Delta case is present. This classification also applies to areas with a low but increasing case count, or areas with low and decreasing transmission but increasing health care utilization rate.
Areas under Alert Level 2 are: Cordillera – Ifugao; Region 1 – La Union; Region 3 – Zambales, Aurora; Region 4B – Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro; Region 5 – Camarines Sur, Sorsogon; Region 6 – Guimaras, Negros Occidental; Region 7 – Bohol, Siquijor; Region 8 – Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, Samar (Western Samar); Region 9 – Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga City; Region 10 – Misamis Occidental; Region 11 – Davao Del Norte, Davao De Oro, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental; Region 12 – South Cotabato, Sarangani, Caraga: Agusan Del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao Del Norte, Agusan Del Sur, Butuan City and BARMM: Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Sulu
Alert Level 3 means an area is at moderate to critical risk but has a bed occupancy rate lower than 70 percent. This level, along with Alert Level 4, does not take into account the presence of the Delta variant in an area.
Areas under Alert Level 3 are: Metro Manila – Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasig, Valenzuela, Pasay; Cordillera – Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province; Region 1 – Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Dagupan City; Region 2 – Batanes, Santiago City, Isabela; Region 3 – Bulacan, Nueva Ecija; Region 4A – Rizal; Region 4B – Marinduque, Romblon, Puerto Princesa; Region 5 – Masbate, Naga City, Catanduanes; Region 6 – Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz; Region 8 – Leyte, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte; Region 9 – Zamboanga del Sur; Region 10 – Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental; Region 11 – Davao Occidental; Region 12 – Cotabato (North Cotabato), Sultan Kudarat; and Caraga – Surigao del Sur
Vergeire said the Philippines averaged 8,284 new COVID-19 cases per day from July 31 to Aug. 6, higher than the average of 6,219 new infections in the week before.
Despite this, the Philippines was still classified as a moderate-risk area with a 53.51 percent HCUR and 60.42 percent intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rate as of Aug. 3./
The Philippines logged 10,623 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,638,345.
The number of new cases was the highest since April 17, when the country logged 10,098 cases.
There were 247 new fatalities reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 28,673.
The DOH also reported 3,127 persons who recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,535,375.
There were 74,297 active cases. The figure is also the highest since April 26. The last time it breached 70,000 was on May 2.
Of the 74,297 active cases, 94.8 percent were mild, 1.2 percent were asymptomatic, 1 percent were critical, 1.8 percent were severe, and 1.18 percent were moderate.
Nationwide, 62 percent of the ICU beds, 53 percent of the isolation beds, 54 percent of the ward beds, and 44 percent of the ventilators, were in use.
In Metro Manila, 61 percent of the ICU beds, 53 percent of the isolation beds, 53 percent of the ward beds, and 45 percent of the ventilators, were in use.
The DOH, the University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines – National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) on Friday reported the detection of 119 more Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases, 125 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant cases, 94 Beta (B.1.351) variant cases, and 11 P.3 variant cases in the latest batch of whole genome sequencing.
Of the additional 119 Delta variant cases, 93 were local cases, 20 were returning overseas Filipinos and six cases were still being verified.
Of the 93 local cases, 18 cases had an indicated address in the National Capital Region (NCR), while 14 had indicated addresses in Calabarzon, 18 in Central Luzon, 31 in Western Visayas, eight in Northern Mindanao, and one each in Central Visayas, Eastern Samar, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Based on the case line list, 118 cases have been tagged as recovered while one has an outcome that is being verified. All other information is being validated by our regional and local health offices.
This brings the total Delta variant cases to 450.
Delta variant cases have been detected in all 17 cities and municipalities in NCR.
Of the additional 125 Alpha variant cases detected, 115 were local cases, six were returning Filipinos, and four were being verified.
Based on the case line list, three cases have died and 122 cases have been tagged as recovered. This brings the total Alpha variant cases to 2,093.
Of the additional 94 Beta variant cases, 89 were local cases, three were returning Filipinos, and two cases were being verified.
Based on the case line list, seven cases have died while 87 cases have been tagged as recovered. The total Beta variant cases are now at 2,362.
The 11 additional P.3 variant cases were local cases that have been tagged as recovered.
“The DOH would like to remind the public that despite the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine on the National Capital Region and stricter community quarantine restrictions in the localities, the free vaccination program is ongoing for priority groups A1 to A5,” the DOH said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Lung Center of the Philippines said it is now nearing its full capacity of COVID-19 beds, and might turn away moderate cases.
Dr. Randy Castillo, the hospital’s emergency room and COVID-19 Triage Task Force chief, described the situation as a “surge.”
Asked if they are still accepting patients at the moment, Castillo said, “Yes, as of the moment, we haven’t reached our full capacity, but I think the time will come since we are dedicated to severe and critical ones.”
Castillo said 80 to 90 out of the 110 COVID-19-dedicated beds at the Lung Center are currently occupied, prompting the reopening and adding of more COVID-19 wards.
Asked why hospitals are seeing an increase in admissions, Castillo said “lenient” quarantine measures could be a factor.
“I think what we’re experiencing now is already a surge. We had this experience around March or April of this year when we even had around 200 percent occupancy rate for our emergency room,” Castillo said.
Castillo also flagged a shift in the profile of patients admitted to the Lung Center.
Previously, patients would typically be senior citizens or persons with comorbidities.
“But now when we make our rounds, we are very alarmed that we see patients that are less than 40 years old and some even don’t have comorbidities so this could be really an emergency for all of us,” he said.
Castillo said the Lung Center cannot confirm whether the patients are down with the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant, noting that not all COVID-19 patients have their samples subjected to genome sequencing.
St. Luke’s Medical Center on Friday said one of their branches has reached its full capacity for COVID-19 patients on Friday.
Medical chief officer Dr. Benjamin Campomanes told ABS-CBN the Bonifacio Global City branch’s COVID ward is now at a 100 percent full capacity.