COVID-19 cases in PH still expected to increase in coming weeks — DOH

August 27 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) said that the country will still see sharp uptick in new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the coming weeks. DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Dr. Alethea De Guzman said that the effect of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that was imposed in Metro Manila and other provinces is not yet evident. “In the next days and weeks, we’ll probably [be] seeing additional peaks,” said De Guzman in an online forum on Thursday, Aug. 26. “We haven’t felt the full effect of our ECQ, there is really a probability that we will still see additional cases,” she added.

De Guzman said that the spike in COVID-19 cases is not only being observed in the National Capital Region (NCR) and “Plus” areas such as Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite. “Unlike the April 2021 peak of cases which are NCR-plus- centered, this ongoing case increase involves the whole of Luzon and select Visayas and Mindanao areas,” said De Guzman. The DOH official said that the Philippines remained at high-risk classification for COVID-19. She noted that from Aug. 19 to 25, the average daily cases stood at 15,535 as compared to the 12,897 cases recorded on Aug. 12 to Aug. 18.

Alert Level 4

De Guzman said that the following areas are under “Alert Level 4” as their risk classification for COVID-19 is “moderate to critical” while their healthcare utilization rate is now over 70 percent.

NCR: Malabon, Navotas, Pateros, Marikina, Taguig, Quezon City, Makati, San Juan, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Pasay, Pasig, Valenzuela

Cordillera Administrative Region: Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province

Ilocos Region: Dagupan City, La Union

Cagayan Valley: Cagayan, City Of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino

Central Luzon: Angeles City, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales

Calabarzon: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City, Rizal

Mimaropa: Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro

Bicol Region: Camarines Sur, Masbate, Naga City, Sorsogon

Western Visayas: Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, Iloilo City

Central Visayas: Bohol, Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City

Eastern Visayas: Ormoc City

Zamboanga Peninsula: Zamboanga Del Sur

Northern Mindanao: Bukidnon, Cagayan De Oro City, Camiguin, lligan City, Lanao Del Norte, Misamis Oriental

Davao Region: Davao City

Soccsksargen: North Cotabato, General Santos City, Sarangani, South Cotabato

Caraga: Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City, Surigao Del Norte, Surigao Del Sur

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur

Source: mb.com.ph