While there is a slight increase in number of new cases at 9,661 announced by the Health Agency at 4PM today, this is due to the higher number of tests performed last April 23. As there are close to 23,0000 new recoveries being reported overnight, the number of active cases drops to less than 90,000 (9 percent).
New deaths reported was at 145, bringing the case fatality ratio of those with outcomes (recoveries or deaths) to 1.85 percent.
There is a significant decline in the utilization of intensive care unit beds from a previous high of over 80 percent to just 71 percent today and isolation, wards, and ventilators to less than 70 percent (or below the critical threshold) of the health agency.
With a 16.3 percent positivity rate reported April 23, the Philippines continues to inch closer to the 1,000,000 mark as we are still on track to inevitably surpass this by next week.
On a regional level, the NCR, CALABARZON, and Central Luzon continue to dominate the new cases. NCR, however, owned only 37.7% of the total share for today, with CALABARZON owning 19.2% and Central Luzon 15%. Eight other regions reported triple digits.
Among the LGUs in NCR, it was still Quezon City that continued to lead with 724 (20%) of the cases in Mega Manila. Pasig and Manila came in second and third, respectively. Nine of there LGUs had more than 100 but less than 300 cases. They were: Caloocan, Taguig, Makati, Malabon, Valenzuela, Parañaque, Mandaluyong, Marikina and Las Piñas. Thirteen of 17 LGUs in NCR were in the top twenty cities with most cases.
On a provincial level, Cavite continued to lead the pack with 574 new cases. The sudden rise of Pampanga to second spot among the top ten provinces is quite alarming as this province is seeing an uptick in cases, overtaking erstwhile leader Bulacan for the region of Central Luzon.
Relative Joy 