The positivity rate, or the number of persons testing positive for Covid-19, in the National Capital Region (NCR) went down to 8.9 percent, the lowest this year since July 4.
In a televised public briefing on Monday, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said other Covid-19 numbers in the NCR also went down along with its positivity rate.
The seven-day average of cases in the region decreased to 210 per day; average daily attack rate, 1.46; reproduction number or number of persons a case could infect, 0.68; growth rate, -38 percent; and healthcare utilization rate, 28 percent.
“Mukang, we’re hoping magiging maganda-ganda ang holidays natin at wala masyadong infections (We might be having, hoping for great holidays with less infections),” David said.
“At hindi lang sa Metro Manila, karamihan ng mga provinces sa buong bansa sa Philippines, nag-a-average tayo ng 907 cases per day na lang, negative 30 percent ‘yung growth rate natin (Not only in Metro Manila, most of the provinces in the Philippines, we’re averaging 907 cases per day only, our growth rate is negative 30 percent),” he added.
Other areas with decreased positivity rate include Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Davao.
David said the decline in cases could be attributed to the public’s knowledge about proper self-protection against Covid-19 despite the rise in the number of mass gatherings.
Through an informal survey via Twitter, he asked the public if they would continue wearing face masks following the release of an executive order making the protocol optional.
He noted that 85 percent of the respondents replied that they would still wear face masks, 6 percent will not, and 9 percent said, “it depends on the situation”.
“Dahil sa vaccination campaign nung nakaraan, ang ating malakas ngayon na wall of immunity, hybrid immunity, tingin natin ito yung mga dahilan kaya patuloy na bumababa ang bilang ng kaso (Because of the vaccination campaign, our wall of immunity, hybrid immunity is high, we think this is one of the reasons cases are decreasing),” he said.
When asked about the effect of the XBB and XBC variants, David said it was seen in September when the cases increased in the NCR.
“So, mukhang kumokonti na ito, pero may mga areas na pagtaas ng cases at positivity rate, isa dito sa Benguet Region, nakikita natin baka kasi malamig din sa lugar na ‘yun (it looks like the cases are reduced, but there are places with increased cases and positivity rate, one of them is the Benguet Region, may be because of the cold weather),” he said. (PNA)
