Baguio’s Covid-19 positivity, infection rates increase

As of October 24, the Summer Capital’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) positivity rate slightly increased from 5.3 percent to 7.93 percent in the past two weeks while its weekly infection rate rose from 0.91 to 1.25 during the same period.

During the management committee meeting of local officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Oct. 28, City Health Services Office (CHSO) head Dr. Rowena Galpo said the city continues to be under low risk, level 1 status in terms of  Covid-19 infections.

She said that the city experienced a slightly lower average daily attack rate of 2.4/100,000 from 2.5/100,000 in the past two weeks and a growth rate of (-)13.33 percent to (-)2 percent.

For the past two weeks, the city had a decreased number of average tests done from 193 to 136; hospital critical utilization rate of 9.5 percent to 12.93 percent (49/379); and isolation facility bed occupancy of 6.74 percent to 5.6 percent (15/267).

As to the distribution of Covid-19 variants of concern, by type, as of Oct. 18, Galpo said Omicron still dominates at 69 percent followed by Delta at 18 percent; Alpha, nine percent; and Beta at four percent of cases in the city. – Gaby B. Keith