OCTA: HCUR remains low despite COVID spike

Despite the increasing number of new COVID cases, health care utilization rates (HCUR) in Metro Manila and other key cities and provinces nationwide remain low.

OCTA Research fellow Guido David reported yesterday that only Bohol, at 63.6 percent, is now considered under moderate category.

“Below 50 percent is considered low,” he said, noting that the National Capital Region (NCR) has a current HCUR of only 28.4 percent.

David’s chart posted on Twitter showed that Iloilo, Guimaras, Lucena, Cebu City, Rizal and Batangas have the highest rates at 45.5, 44.6, 44.2, 40.1, 39.6, 38.9 and 35.0 percent, respectively.

Cavite, Laguna, Davao City have low HCURs at 29.2, 28.3 and 26.3 percent, while Baguio City and Aklan have much lower rates at 14.2 and 8.6 percent, respectively.

Expand 2nd boosters

The Department of Health (DOH) said it has asked the

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into expanding the implementation of the second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

“We already wrote the FDA for the latter to engage in a study that would look into including the 50 to 59 age group as well as those with comorbidities to be covered by the second booster dose,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a television interview.

She added that they are just waiting for the FDA’s response so they can address the public’s clamor on this matter.

The government has so far rolled out the second booster to health workers, elderly and immunocompromised persons.

At the same time, the health official said the government will soon bring the COVID-19 vaccination program closer to communities. “Let us wait and in the coming days, there will be more vaccination centers in schools, workplaces, places of worship and even markets,” Vergeire added.