Philippines in ‘low risk’ virus category: Official

MANILA: The entire Philippines is now in the coronavirus (COVID-19) “low risk” category mainly due to a significant drop in infections even with the presence of the deadly and virulent Delta variant, a ranking health department official revealed on Monday.

In a related development, the World Health organisation ( WHO) urged the government to give top priority and administer COVID-19 jabs to at least three million senior citizens, aged 60 and above, who have yet to be vaccinated.

Meanwhile, health undersecretary maria rosa rio Vergeire cited several major factors that resulted in a significant reduction in COVID infections which enabled the Philippines to join the COVID “low risk” classification.

“Nationally, we are at low risk case classification with a negative two-week growth rate of minus 48 per cent and moderate risk average daily atack rate (ADAR) of 5.89 cases for every 100,000 individuals,” Vergeire told a televised media briefing.

Vergeire also cited the “low risk” healthcare utilisation rate of 41.15 per cent occupancy rate while that of the intensive care units (ICUS) stood at a moderate 53.1 per cent.

As of Sunday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported it logged 5,279 new confirmed infections, which brought the national tally to 2,756,923.

Of the total, 60,957 were active cases, according to the DOH, meaning the individuals needed treatment.

On the other hand, it said the death toll hit 41,793 from 208 new fatalities while recoveries stood at 2,654,174 from 7,312 survivors.

Although the country succeeded in blunting the spread of COVID-19, Vergeire admited that several regions continued to have “high risk” ADAR (average daily atack rate).

These are, she said, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Mimaropa (for the island provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) and Metro Manila or the National Capital Region all on the main island of Luzon as well as Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao.