EXCEPT for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Davao Region, all regions in the country are now at low risk for COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) announced Tuesday.
DOH Spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said about less than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported for the week among all regions in the country.
“Except for CAR and Region 11, all the regions are now at low-risk classification,” Vergeire reported duing the meeting.
She said all regions have shown negative 2-week growth rates and there have been a decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases, she added.
Vergeire likewise reported that the country is also now at low-risk case classification with a negative 1-week and 2-week growth rates
Average daily attack rate (ADAR), on the other hand, is at moderate risk, where an ADAR of less than 1 means low risk
National health systems capacity, she said, is also at low risk.
“Our national healthcare systems capacity is at low risk except for Region 11 as its ICU utilization rate is at moderate risk,” she said.
Only around 12 percent to 15 percent of national hospital admissions were severe and critical, she said, citing DOH data.
“Most of our admissions are mild to moderate. This is proof that the vaccines are effective against critical illness caused by COVID-19,” Vergeire continued.
As regards the variants of concern (VOCs) present in the county, Vergeire said the highly transmissible Omicron variant registered the most number of infection, but also posted the lowest number of severe and critical cases.
During the surge of the Delta variant in the country, average daily cases ballooned to 20,903 from 5,573, while the Omicron surge saw average daily cases rise from 629 and peaked at 34,903.
“Although we have recorded more cases during the Omicron period, we have also recorded the lowest number of severe and critical. Most of the severe and critical cases were seen during the Delta situation in the country,” she said.