Increase in Covid-19 cases still not alarming but strict compliance to health protocols urged

Baguio City’s Coronavirus disease numbers have gradually gone up in the last four weeks with active transmission becoming evident in the last two weeks.  

City Health Services Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said the city’s scores in two COVID-19 metrics particularly the weekly infection rate (WIR) and two-week growth rate (TWGR) have crossed the thresholds indicating an active local transmission.

However, she said the level of transmission has not reached the alarming level based on other indicators like the case positivity rate, average daily attack rate and hospital care utilization rate which have all remained below the limit.

“Just the same, we are reminding people to continue practicing the minimum public health standards.  Let us continue protecting ourselves,” she said.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong reiterated that the city is prepared in case of a surge with its control measures and systems still in place.

The case positivity rate has risen from .04 percent eight weeks ago to 3.43 percent last week.  The threshold is at 5 percent.

She recalled that the city had registered less than 1 case from May 23 until four weeks ago when cases began to increase.  The city’s highest number of cases in a day was 785 posted last January 20 at the height of the original omicron variant.

The ADAR was at 1.61/100,000 individuals per day with 6 as the threshold while HCUR was at 8.18 percent or far from the 50 percent limit.  

Isolation facility usage was at 5 percent and the city is poised to reopen the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit at the Sto. Nino De Jesus Hospital to prepare accommodating more patients.

The WIR was at 1.39 and the TWGR at 183 percent, both exceeding the threshold of 1. – Aileen P. Refuerzo