OCTA research group identifies Makati, Baguio, Mandaluyong and other cities as top high-risk areas for COVID-19

A group of academics monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines said that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila is decreasing continually as a whole, as the country continues to register lower additional infections daily.

Photo credit: onenews.ph

In its latest report published on Tuesday, the OCTA Research Group said that a local government unit (LGU) is classified as "high-risk" if it has a high number of cases per day, high attack rate or the percentage of the population that contracts the disease in an at-risk population, and high hospital occupancy.

The researchers identified the following as LGUs of concern or high-risk areas:

1. Makati City
2. Baguio City
3. Mandaluyong City
4. Lucena City
5. Pasig City
6. Iloilo City
7. Pasay City
8. Marikina City
9. Ilagan City, Isabela
10. Batangas City

Based on the latest OCTA report, Makati topped the list by recording an average of 59 COVID-19 cases per day and a 10% attack rate from October 11 to 17, a situation that the city has to address with its critical care occupancy at 79% as of October 16.

The safe level of attack rate is at 7%.

Ranking second is Baguio City, which will open to tourists from Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon in two days, with an average of 39 COVID-19 cases recorded per day.

At third place is Mandaluyong City clocking in an average of 34 COVID-19 cases per day. Though it has a lower attack rate of 8%, its hospital capacity is at 75%.

Lucena City in Quezon, on the other hand, is at fourth place after registering an average of 24 COVID-19 cases per day and an 8% attack rate. Its hospital capacity, however, is already at 95%.

The concern is that these LGUs identified as high-risk may experience an overwhelming of their healthcare systems and their medical frontliners in the coming weeks,

the OCTA report read.

Moreover, they need to implement more aggressive and effective localized lockdowns with stricter border controls to suppress further viral transmissions,

OCTA added.