COVID positivity rate jumps to 21% in Metro

AMID the spiking number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the country, the positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) has jumped to 21 percent, according to the independent OCTA Research.

In a social media post, OCTA member Guido David said the positivity rate in the NCR increased to 21 percent as of December 17 2023, from only 13.4 percent last December 10.

“This is only the fifth time since 2020 that the positivity rate exceeded 20 percent,” David noted.

Positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus, out of the overall number of those who have been tested. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the threshold for positivity rate for COVID-19 at 5 percent, which means the transmission is under control.

David said the jump in the positivity rate is in accordance with the 50 percent increase in the average daily COVID-19 cases reported by the Department of Health (DOH) for the period of December 12 to 18.

The DOH case bulletin showed that during the seven-day period, the country saw an average of 389 new COVID-19 cases daily.

Despite the upward trend in COVID-19 cases, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said this does not translate to higher utilization rate in hospitals.

In a television interview, Herbosa assured the public that the healthcare system is far from being overwhelmed.

“Our cases in the hospitals are not increasing. That means that, even if our numbers of COVID-19 are reportedly higher, our hospitals are not yet getting filled up by cases of COVID-19. I don’t think there will be a larger or huge outbreak that will stress the health system,” said Herbosa.

This was seconded by Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president Dr. Rontgene Solante who said that he does not see hospitals overflowing with patients with COVID-19.

“We don’t see a scenario wherein hospitals will be on full capacity to the point that they cannot accommodate everybody,” said Solante in a virtual media conference.

Herbosa said most COVID-19 cases in the country are not at severe and critical levels.

He also pointed how a large number of Filipinos have been jabbed with the COVID-19 vaccines.

“The good thing is that the newer