MANILA - Metro Manila is now at "moderate risk" against the threat of COVID-19, the country's health chief has said, as coronavirus infections in the capital region has slowed down this month.

In a public address aired Tuesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the 2-week COVID-19 growth rate in NCR went down from negative 39 percent to negative 46 percent from May 2 to 15.

The average daily attack rate in NCR also decreased from 24.9 cases per 100,000 population to 13.44 cases per 100 population from in the same period, he added.

"Ibig sabihin nito, bumabagal na 'yong pagdagdag o paglaki ng kaso," Duque said.

(This means that the increase in cases is slowing down.)

From May 15 to 32, the capital region has been placed under general community quarantine but with heightened restrictions.

To curb the spread of the disease, Duque called on local government units to continue implementing localized or granular lockdowns.

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While the COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila is improving, the health chief noted that infections were increasing in 10 regions.

These are Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Bicol Region, Davao Region, Eastern Visayas and Bangsamoro.

Meanwhile, Duque also reported that health-care utilization across the country has dropped to 46 percent as of May 16 from 54 percent in April.

In NCR, the health-care utilization rate fell to 45 percent from 68 percent last month, a decrease of 23 percent.

The ICU bed utilization rate in the capital region, he added, has significantly gone down to 56 percent from 88 percent.

The Philippines has so far tallied over 1.1 million cases, of which more than 19,000 have died from the disease. To date, over 54,000 people are considered active cases or deemed infectious.

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