THE OCTA Research announced the weekly COVID-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila has climbed to 25.4 percent as of May 13.
OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Sunday night the capital region’s positivity rate increased by 2.7 points from the 22.7 percent logged on May 6.
Positivity rate refers to the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come out positive.
The World Health Organization recommends a 5-percent threshold for COVID-19 positivity rate.
OCTA’s David said high positivity rates were also observed in parts of Luzon.
Bataan – 20.2 percent
Batangas – 33.7 percent
Benguet – 20.3 percent
Bulacan – 25.2 percent
Camarines Sur – 46.5 percent
Cavite – 36.9 percent
Isabela – 36.6 percent
Laguna – 29.9 percent
Oriental Mindoro – 29.5 percent
Pampanga – 24.8 percent
Quezon – 42.7 percent
Rizal – 44.4 percent
In the Visayas, high positivity rates were seen Aklan and Leyte, David added.
Aklan – 56.9 percent
Leyte – 21 percent
The Department of Health previously said it does not consider the positivity rate as the “sole criterion” in monitoring the country’s COVID-19 situation.
The agency said there are many factors or measures to consider as to an area’s increase in COVID-19 cases.
“This means metrics such as transmission rate, contact rate, and longer durations of infectiousness are not sole drivers of transmission and increases in cases,” the DOH said in a statement this month.
For the agency, the public should focus on the healthcare utilization rates and hospital admissions.
The Philippines on Sunday recorded 2,109 new coronavirus infections, raising its tally to 4,115,202. Of the figure, some 15,891 are active COVID-19 cases.
