MANILA (UPDATE) — The weekly COVID-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila further decreased to 4.2 percent as of July 8, according to pandemic monitor OCTA Research.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said the capital region's positivity rate was 4.8 percent on July 1.

Positivity rate refers to the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come out positive.

The World Health Organization recommends a 5-percent threshold for COVID-19 positivity rate.

• DOH logs 2,510 COVID-19 cases from July 3-9

Guido also said positivity rates went up in Camarines Sur, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal and Zambales.

Meanwhile, positivity rates decreased in Bulacan and Cavite.

The Department of Health earlier said it does not consider positivity rate as the "sole criterion" in monitoring the country's COVID-19 situation.

For the agency, there are many factors to consider as to an area’s increase in coronavirus infections.

The Philippines on Monday recorded 258 fresh COVID-19 cases, bringing its tally to 4,168,267. Of the figure, some 6,437 are active COVID-19 cases.

MILD, MODERATE CASES

According to the DOH, majority of hospital admissions nationally remain to be mild and moderate, with severe and critical cases at 9.3 percent of total admissions.

As of July 9, there are 382 severe and critical admissions for COVID-19.

The agency added that nationally, total bed utilization and ICU utilization remain at low risk at 17 percent and 12 percent, respectively, and that all regions also remained at low-risk case classification and had low-risk health-care utilization rates.

The DOH still urged the public to continue practicing layers of protection, such as the wearing of face masks and isolating when sick.

"These layers of protection are also effective not only against COVID-19 but also from other infectious diseases. At this time, we entrust the public to raise their risk-tolerance against COVID-19 and continue to practice assessing our risks," the agency said.

"More importantly, the DOH continuously encourages the public to get vaccinated and boosted to further strengthen our wall of immunity and to remain protected against COVID-19."

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— With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News