The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported that the country’s COVID-19 positivity rate jumped to 4.5 percent and the independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research group said it was even higher than 5 percent in Metro Manila, warning that the rise could be more than just “a holiday uptick.”
The DOH said that 4.5 percent of 27,615 people who were tested on Monday were positive for the coronavirus, nearly twice the 2.6 percent reported on Tuesday from tests conducted on Sunday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) standard is a positivity rate of below 5 percent daily for at least two weeks—the maximum incubation period for the coronavirus — to consider COVID-19 transmission under control.
The health department also reported 889 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, more than double the 421 recorded on Tuesday, But it said that 889, or 98 percent, occured in the last two weeks with Metro Manila accounting for 564, or majority of the cases.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, cases were expected to increase due to holiday-related mobility and reduced compliance to minimum public health standards.
In a Twitter post on Wednesday, OCTA fellow Guido David said it was the first time that the positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) had risen above 5 percent since Oct. 24. (©Philippine Daily Inquirer 2021)
