ManilaTimes-Jan 4
THE Department of Health (DoH) placed the entire country under the high-risk category as Covid-19 cases grew by 222 percent in just two weeks. “Nationally, we are now at high risk case classification — from low risk case classification in the previous week — showing a positive two-week growth rate at 222 percent and moderate risk average daily attack rate at 1.07 cases for every 100,000 individuals,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeiresaid. She explained that the National Capital Region (NCR) had the highest increase in cases with an average daily attack rate of 5.42 cases per 100,000 population. Vergeire said that average daily cases significantly increased by 570 percent, which was seven times higher than in the previous weeks. “An increase in the number of individuals testing positive, as well as positivity rate, were seen across all regions. All regions, except for NCR, showed a decline in the number of samples tested in the recent week compared to the previous week,” she added. Health care utilization rates in national and regional levels were low, after the DoH alerted hospitals and local government units to prepare for the possible increase in cases. Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary and Treatment Czar Leopoldo Vega warned that Omicron could become the dominant variant in the next three to four weeks. Read more at: https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/04/news/ph-back-in-high-risk-category/1828119
