COVID-19

After Delta surge, Philippines now low risk for COVID-19 – DOH

Bonz Magsambol

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After Delta surge, Philippines now low risk for COVID-19 – DOH

PANDEMIC-HIT PH. People visit their departed loved ones at the San Juan Cemetery on October 23, 2021, ahead of the All Saints Day and All Souls Day as ll cemeteries will be closed on October 29 to November 2 to minimize COVID-19 transmission.

Angie de Silva/Rappler

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire still urges caution, saying, 'Hindi pa ho tapos ang laban. Hindi ho tayo puwede maging kampante.'

After the record-breaking surge in infections driven by the highly-transmissible Delta variant, the Philippines is now “low-risk” for COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, October 25.

“Nationally, we are at low-risk case classification with a negative two-week growth rate at -48%, and a moderate-risk average daily attack rate at 5.89 cases per every 100,000 individuals,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters in a press briefing.

Vergeire added that healthcare utilization is now at moderate risk.

Meanwhile, six regions are under moderate-risk classifications and 11 regions are under low-risk classifications.

“Decline in cases is seen at the national level and in most regions. Majority of provinces in CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), Regions 1, 2, 4B, and 9 remain at moderate risk classification, with beds and/or ICU rates at high to critical risk,” Vergeire said.

Low-risk regions

  • Bicol
  • Davao
  • Caraga
  • Calabarzon
  • Central Luzon
  • Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
  • Eastern Visayas
  • Western Visayas
  • Soccsksargen
  • Central Visayas
  • Northern Mindanao

Moderate-risk regions

  • Cagayan Valley
  • Zamboanga Peninsula
  • Cordillera Administrative Region
  • Mimaropa
  • Ilocos
  • National Capital Region

On October 20, the Philippines logged 3,656 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day fresh infections tallied in over three months. This drop was part of a downward trend since the surge driven by the highly-transmissible Delta variant sent the numbers skyrocketing in September.

Despite the decline in cases, Vergeire urged the public to continue following the minimum public health protocols.

“Hindi pa ho tapos ang laban. Hindi ho tayo puwede maging kampante. Puwede ho tayo lumabas pero kailangan natin mag-ingat,” Vergeire said.

(The fight isn’t over yet. We cannot be complacent at this time. We can go out be we should be careful.)

She issued this statement after people crowded the Manila bay dolomite beach last weekend.

On September 11, the Philippines saw its highest COVID-19 tally since the pandemic began at 26,303. – Rappler.com

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Bonz Magsambol

Bonz Magsambol covers the Philippine Senate for Rappler.