DOH sees uptick in 7 NCR cities’ cases

CNN – Published Jul 13, 2021 4:31:46 PM

Metro Manila  —The daily number of new cases in seven cities in Metro Manila is rising again, an official said Tuesday.

“These are the cities of Makati, San Juan, Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Manila, Malabon, and Navotas,” Department of Health chief epidemiologist Alethea de Guzman told an online briefing.

After having negative two-week growth rates or TWGRs from June 13 to 26, these cities logged positive growth rates from June 27 to July 10, according to de Guzman’s presentation. Malabon recorded the highest increase with a 116% TWGR while the rate of six others ranged from 5% to 33%.

Meanwhile, the epidemiologist also flagged Makati and San Juan for having high COVID-19 bed occupancy rates.

Makati’s utilization rate in terms of COVID-19 beds and ventilators is at 70%, while the beds for patients in intensive care units in San Juan’s hospitals are all occupied as of July 10, de Guzman said.

The average number of COVID-19 cases recorded per day in Metro Manila from July 6 to 12 is 633, lower than the 644 tallied the week prior, the official said.

“Mula sa dulo ng Hunyo hanggang ngayong July, flat or plateau po talaga ang ating NCR at very very slow po yung pagdecline,” she said.

[Translation: From late June until this July, cases in NCR have seen a flat or plateau trend and their decline is slow.]

A group of researchers monitoring the country’s COVID-19 trends had the same observation.

“Over the past three weeks, the weekly growth rate has averaged -3%, which indicates that the trend is nearly level or flat,” OCTA Research said in its report on Tuesday.

The highest daily average recorded in the NCR was 5,534 from March 29 to April 4 this year, de Guzman said.

SOURCE: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/7/13/7-NCR-cities-COVID-19-case-uptick.html?_=1626166118657&fbclid=IwAR2REt-d_RkKNiRqleu-00-FC1QqtQr1dxVG4OXKKTlwX_Tdf1Z4wW9mVjY