The declining COVID-19 case trend in seven Metro Manila cities has reversed after they posted a rise in cases over the last two weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Alethea De Guzman said Makati and San Juan were classified as high risk due to their average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 9.76 and 8.95 cases per 100,000 population, respectively, and high hospital bed occupancy.
Other cities that posted a growth in cases were Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Manila, Malabon, and Navotas.
The DOH also flagged Davao, Western Visayas, and the Cordillera regions as high-risk areas for COVID-19 because of their high ADAR and intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rate.
De Guzman said the ADAR in the three regions were higher than seven cases per 100,000 people while ICU utilization stood at 81.41 percent in Region 11, 87.34 percent in Region 6, and 68.54 percent in Cordillera as of July 10.
However, the entire Philippines remains a low-risk area with an ADAR of 4.88 cases per 100,000 population and a two-week case growth rate of negative 10 percent.
Average daily new infections fell to 5,221 during July 6 to 12 from 5,458 during June 29 to July 5.
COVID-19 cases in NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal) have plateaued while infections are “slightly increasing” in the rest of Luzon and “slowly declining” in Visayas and Mindanao following a spike in cases, said De Guzman.
De Guzman also said the COVID-19 case trend is “plateauing” in Region 7, where health authorities have reported a third wave of infections.
She said Bohol, Cebu City, and Lapu-Lapu City are showing an upward trend while cases in Negros Oriental are on a downtrend. The independent OCTA Research Group urged on Tuesday the government to keep Metro Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ) beyond the middle of July.
GCQ is considered as the second loosest quarantine level.
With nearly 13.5 million people, Metro Manila is under GCQ "with some restrictions" until July 15.
It should keep its current quarantine after July 15 as a safeguard against the more contagious Delta COVID-19 variant, said OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye.
“Although our situation now in the NCR is good, it needs to continue, be sustained, while we increase our vaccinations,” Rye said during a press briefing.
"We are not yet ready for MGCQ (modified general community quarantine)," Rye added.
The Philippines logged 3,604 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,481,660.
There were 77 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 26,092.
The DOH also reported 5,840 persons recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,408,634.
The DOH also reported 46,934 active cases, of which 89.6 percent were mild, 4.3 percent were asymptomatic, 1.6 percent were critical, 2.6 percent were severe, and 1.83 percent were moderate.
Nationwide, 56 percent of ICU beds, 46 percent of isolation beds, 42 percent of ward beds, and 37 percent of ventilators, were in use.
In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 37 percent of isolation beds, 32 percent of ward beds, and 33 percent of ventilators, were in use.
Also on Tuesday, a lawmaker said the COVID-19 vaccination certificates the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would issue should be free of charge on the part of the public.
“The government should not burden the people financially for these certificates, which should be issued fast with no red tape and bureaucratic delay as soon as the needed data reaches the DICT. There should also be no politics in their issuance,” Assistant Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo said.
She said those fully vaccinated would need such certifications for local or international travel, employment, mobility, education, and other purposes.
“The fast and free-of-chance issuance of the vaccination document and the numerous purposes it would serve could entice those still hesitant to get vaccinated to finally take the vaccine. For one, the document could enhance mobility,” she added.
The DICT has promised to issue the certificates to those fully vaccinated starting next month. In the meantime, it is urging local government units (LGUs) to upload their vaccination lists to its database.
The decision to issue a uniform certificate arose from the fact that LGUs have varying documents evidencing single-dose and full-dose vaccination, making it difficult for the authorities to verify such documents.
