DOH observes COVID-19 spike in Bicol, Mimaropa, Zamboanga Peninsula

MANILA— The Department of Health said Friday it observed an increase of COVID-19 cases in the Bicol Region, Mimaropa and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and Ilocos Region also remained at high-risk case classification, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

An area's risk level is based on the growth rate of cases in the last 2 weeks and the average daily attack rate, which is defined as the number of infected people per 100,000 population.

"While we are seeing a negative growth in the National Capital Region, we would like to reiterate that this is the time that we should continue hammering on our COVID-19 response para tuluyang bumaba na ang bilang ng mga nagkakasakit (so that the number of people getting sick will decline)," she told reporters.

To date, Bicol Region has recorded 43,796 coronavirus infections, of which 3,279 are active cases, according to the DOH COVID-19 tracker. The region added 116 new cases on Oct. 7.

Mimaropa's COVID-19 caseload was at 30,146, with 186 fresh infections, while 381 new cases brought Zamboanga Peninsula's tally to 43,681, DOH data further showed.

Meanwhile, Cagayan Valley has 116,713 COVID-19 cases, while its bed occupancy rate was at 82.3 percent.

The Cordillera Administrative Region's bed occupancy rate was at 85.8 percent with 78,302 infections, while Ilocos Region reported 93,458 cases and a bed occupancy rate of 63.1 percent.

• PH remains at 'moderate' risk for COVID-19; Metro Manila on downward trend

The DOH had said the Philippines could be considered under moderate risk case classification amid a decline in virus infections.

With more than 2.6 million coronavirus infections and over 39,000 deaths, the Philippines has the second worst coronavirus outbreak in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. It currently has 118,203 active cases of COVID-19.