4 cities outside NCR new Covid hotspots

FOUR cities outside Metro Manila that reported a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases have been tagged as “high risk areas” just as the capital is seeing a decline in infections, OCTA Research said.

The new Covid-19 hotspots were the cities of Zamboanga, Puerto Princesa, Baguio and Tuguegarao.

Cases in Zamboanga and Puerto Princesa rose by 47 percent and 35 percent, respectively

This is equivalent to at least 151 new cases per day in Zamboanga City and 60 cases per day in Puerto Princesa.

Based on the Department of Health Covid-19 tracker, the hospital capacity in Zamboanga City has reached 71.1 percent occupancy — 286 out of 402 Covid-19

dedicated beds are occupied. Its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed capacity is at 78.57 percent, or 11 out of 14 beds occupied.

Two hospitals in the city have reached the critical level or above 85-percent capacity, three are in the high-risk level or 70 to 85 percent capacity.

In Puerto Princesa, 105 of the 160 Covid-9 dedicated beds, or 65.6 percent, are occupied. Two of the city’s four hospitals are in critical level — more than 85 percent of their bed capacity are utilized.

Puerto Princesa had a high average daily attack rate, or ADAR, of 21.35 cases per 100,000 population, joining Baguio and Tuguegarao in the list of cities with high ADAR.

Tuguegarao posted an ADAR of 42.94 cases per 100,000 population while Baguio City had 21.08 cases per 100,000.

The Department of Health classifies cities with an ADAR of 10 per 100,000 population as a “high risk” area for Covid-19.

Tuguegarao had seen a high number of hospitalizations for Covid-19, with four out of its seven facilities reporting higher than 85 percent hospital occupancy rates.

All 36 ICU beds in the city are occupied while 78.9 percent, or 105 out of 133 isolation beds, and 79.3 percent, or 73 out of 92 ward beds, are occupied. Ninety percent of all available mechanical ventilators are also in use in the city.

Cagayan Valley’s overall hospital rate is at 68.2 percent, with 18 facilities in critical capacity.

The ICU bed capacity in the region is 74.26-percent occupied, or 75 out of 101 available beds, while 58 out of 102 mechanical ventilators are also in use.

OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the explosion of cases in these areas could have been triggered by travelers from Metro Manila.

Overall, the country’s reproduction number or R0 is at 0.81 while the seven-day average new cases is at 6,522 new cases, 16 percent lower than the previous week.

On Wednesday, the Health department reported 4,842 new Covid-19 cases.