Transmission of coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19 has shown no signs of slowing down, with daily infections appearingly still on the rampage, sans signs of slowing down in recent days, breaching the 1,000 mark after a relative decline of about four months.
We know health authorities are on top of the situation, monitoring in the process the national positivity rate which has since breached the 5 percent benchmark set by the World Health Organization.
At one point five days back, the Department of Health’s national case tally stood at 1,309, the highest since February 25 when infections were pegged at 1,671, which reflected a 68 percent increase from the previous day’s 781 cases.
Active cases have remained over the rung of 7,000, for instance, over the fourth straight day since the 7,087 number on June 27, with 7,871 individuals during the week ill with the stalking and mean coronavirus.
At the same time, the DOH released data which suggested the Philippines’ positivity rate has risen to 6 percent, above the WHO-recommended 5 percent.
It was the first time the country’s positivity rate exceeded the WHO benchmark since March when the DOH ceased issuing daily case announcements.
Authorities have underscored that the recommended 5 percent mark be sustained for two weeks or 14 days before the COVID-19 scenario in any particular area can be considered contained.
Health and Task Force officials have said four regions, including Metro Manila where 13 million of the country’s 110 million population live, have gone past the WHO benchmark, with the national capital posting the highest at 8.2 percent, chased by Calabarzon (7 percent), Mimaropa (6.6 percent), and Western Visayas (6.4 percent).
From June 25 to July 1, exactly seven days, the Philippines registered an average 914 infections, up by 53 percent from the previous week figures, while average cases in the congested metropolis were at 442, a hike of 52 percent.
The figures stand alongside one-week to two-week growth rates from 86 areas outside Metro Manila, with three localities—Lucena City and Bohol province and Tawi Tawi in the far south—exhibiting increasing hospitalizations, with moderate risk to critical risk bulletins.
If there is any whiff of hope, while we look at the concerning figures, it is the line from the DOH that health care utilization rate and average daily attack were still at low risk classification a cross all regions.
The DOH said: These increases have not translated to (a jump) in other metrics, as ADAR were still at low risk classification across all regions.
Active cases surveillance must be done to address these case increases, maintain minimal transmission, and keep severe and critical areas low.”
Given the figures that we see across the bulletin board, we see a reasonable cause for concern.