The Health Agency announces 1158 new cases with 13.2% positivity rate and 11 added deaths. Yesterday, only a little more than 11,000 individuals were tested for COVID-19 by PCR.

NCR continued to account for the bulk of the cases with 40% or 456 cases today. This was led by Quezon City 74, Manila 62 and Makati 50. Other double digit numbers came from Caloocan 38, Taguig 37, Pasig 31, Muntinlupa 30, Parañaque 29, Mandaluyong 26, Valenzuela 20, Pasay City 14, Las Piñas 12, and Navotas 11. Pateros continued its ZERO COVID streak today.

Other provinces that had more than 30 cases were: Cavite and Rizal 60 each, Laguna 50, Bulacan 46, Cagayan 44, Cebu 36 and Benguet 44.

With 1460 new cases added today, NCR owned 40% (580) of the numbers. The national 7-day positivity rate is at 13.3% with 25 added deaths today.

The rule of thumb is – when NCR sees a jump in numbers, so do many provinces in CALABARZON.

Only one LGU had triple digits – in the Philippines – Quezon City with 135 cases. Fourteen other LGUs in NCR had double digits and only Pateros continued to have ZERO COVID. The 14 LGUs with double digits were: Manila 76, Taguig 44, Parañaque 41, Mandaluyong 39, Pasig and Makati 38 each, Caloocan 31, Marikina 24, Muntinlupa 23, Las Piñas 22, Valenzuela and Pasay City 20 each, Navotas 13, and San Juan 10.

In the provinces, the following had more than 30 cases: Cavite 79, Laguna 72, Rizal 64, Bulacan 38, Cebu 56 and Camarines Norte 38.

Constant reminder to everyone – we are under testing as there were only a little more than 10,000 tests done on December 8 (which happened to be a public holiday).

As predicted, based on the average tests done, we are touching >1400 cases/day. In actuality, because of the under testing, there are more COVID19 cases than what is being reported. It goes without saying – please make sure to observe minimum public health standards as the season of merry making draws us closer to gatherings and events that can be superspreaders.

As the positivity rate continued to climb to 13.3%, testing remained low at a little more than 12,000 PCR tests done yesterday and the Health Agency announced 1483 new cases with 26 added deaths today. NCR owned 513 of the cases (35%).

The haul in NCR was led by Quezon City with 105 cases and Manila with 75. Other LGUs with double digits were: Parañaque 48, Makati 40, Pasig 37, Taguig 33, Las Piñas 29, Caloocan 28, Mandaluyong 27, Pasay City and Marikiina 22 each. Muntinlupa 20, and Valenzuela 1. Pateros was the lone LGU with ZERO COVID today.

The provinces also saw rising cases especially CALABARZON with Laguna hauling 69 cases, Cavite 63, Rizal 61. Others with double digits more than 30 cases were: Cebu 63, Cagayan 56, Isabela 51, Benguet 40, Pangasinan 38, and Pampanga 31.

The Health Agency announces 1037 new cases with a high 13.2% positivity rate from close to 14,000 tests done. Which means there’s a backlog in reports. And everyone shouldn’t be surprised at the case dump occurs anytime. NCR owned 443 (43%) of the day’s cases.

The NCR haul was led by Quezon City 82 and Manila 64. Other double digit contributors were: Parañaque 37, Taguig 33, Caloocan 31, Makati 25, Marikina 19, Pasay City and Las Piñas 18 each, Navotas and Mandaluyong 15 each, Muntinlupa 14 and Valenzuela 13.

In the provinces, the following had more than 30 cases: Laguna 52, Rizal and Cavite 43 each, Cebu 37 and Cagayan 35.

The Health Agency announces 883 new cases with a positivity rate at 12.6%. This means that we should breach the quadruple digit tomorrow and with only 12,000 plus PCR tests done yesterday (11,000-12,000 average/day), the positivity rate will continue to increase this week. NCR owned 315 or 36% of the cases.

Quezon City reeled in 63cases followed by Makati 40, Manila 35, and Pasig 34. The following LGUs had less than 30 cases: Parañaque 26, Caloocan and Mandaluyong 19 each, Las Piñas and Pasay City 18 each and Taguig 12.

In the provinces, those that reported more than 30 cases were: Cavite 55, Cebu 46, Rizal and Laguna 31 each and Bulacan 32.

The Health Agency announces 1141 new cases with a high positivity rate that kicks off the week at 12.2%. The data is based only on 8.000+ tests done, showing how under tested the country is for COVID19. There are 25 added deaths.

NCR was led by Quezon City which had triple digit numbers at 103. This was followed by Manila 77, Makati 51, Taguig 42 and Caloocan 34. The following LGUs reported less than 30 cases but still double digits in Mega Manila: Pasig and Parañaque 29 each, Mandaluyong 20, Las Piñas 19, Marikina 18, Pasay City 15, Muntinlupa 14, and Valenzuela 13.

The following provinces reported more than 30 cases: Cavite 56, Laguna 53, Rizal 50, Benguet 39, Bulacan 36 and Cagayan 32.

The Health Agency announces 1173 new cases with 35% still coming from NCR and a positivity rate of 12.3%. There are 24 added deaths today.

NCR was led by Quezon City with 94 and Manila 72 cases. Other double digit numbers came from the following LGUs: Taguig 34, Makati 31, 28, Caloocan 24, Muntinlupa 23, Las Piñas 21, Parañaque 19, Marikina 17, Valenzuela 11, Mandaluyong 10.

Provinces with more than 30 cases were: Cavite 64, Negros Occidental 48, Laguna 46, Rizal 45, Cebu 41, Pangasinan 30.

THE GLOBAL DATA AS OF 27 NOVEMBER 2022 (NOV 30, ED 120, PUBLICATION WHO)

The world saw a very slight upward change in numbers for the week of November 21-27, 2022 compared to the previous week. However, the number of weekly deaths continued to decline by 5%.

On a regional level, the case numbers increased in two WHO regions: the Region of the Americas (+19%) and the Western Pacific Region (+8%). The Philippines is classified under the Western Pacific Region. Deaths declined in three regions but increased in the Region of the Americas (+21%), the Western Pacific Region (+9%), and the South-East Asia Region (+5%). Note that the increasing deaths in the Region of the Americas is mainly due to deaths in the elderly population in the United States who have developed COVID-19.

At the country level, highest cases in the world came from Japan (which saw a large jump of 18%), the Republic of Korea (up by 4%), the United States of America (up by 8%), France (decline by 1%), and Italy (declining by 27%). Deaths were topped in the USA (+16%), Japan (+42%), Brazil (+113%) , Italy (-22%) and China (-17%).

The World Health Organization is worried that the trends in reported COVID-19 cases are declining not due to the fact that pandemic is slowing down but in reality many countries have changed the testing strategies, resulting in overall lower case numbers of tests done and hence, lower numbers of cases detected. In the Philippines alone, the average PCT tests performed are at an all time low of 12,500 tests per day. This accounts for the high positivity rate in the country (12.2%) in spite of the low numbers reported. The number of reported COVID-19 cases is an underestimate of the actual number of cases in the population, making the prevalence reports unreliable on the true prevalence of the pandemic in the individual countries and globally.

The cases in East Asia are being driven by increasing cases seen in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. China is also seeing a rise in the number of COVID 19 cases, making their ZERO COVID policy a very difficult balancing act to implement against the economy of the country.

Reproduction numbers are up in many East Asian nations, including the Philippines which is at 1.00 (+/- 0.05). This means that with the high positivity rate in the Philippines, the potential to see the number of cases jump up is high as the holiday season approaches. In addition, the low case reports in spite of the high positivity means that we are underestimating the true numbers and that complacency and lax protocols as the Christmas get-togethers are at hand are likely to increase the COVID cases as this month.

As the economic train moves towards the pre-pandemic rate, a ‘pandemic is over’ attitude is, as Eric Topol would put it, “blatantly off base”. Ignoring the circulating virus will not make it go away. Ignoring it will not make things better. Ignoring it would simply be irresponsible towards other people who are immunocompromised. Ignoring it will make us turn away from observing protocols on public health – hand washing, masking when in crowded areas, proper ventilation, isolating when positive and testing when we have symptoms.

Ignoring this will throw away the gains made in the last 3 years. And going back to square one is not worth all that ignoring.

The Health Agency announced 1234 new cases with 19 added deaths and a positivity rate of 12.2% today. The National Capital Region took the haul with 35% of the cases.

The City of Manila took the national haul with 75 cases followed by Quezon City with 65. Other LGUs in NCR that reported double digits were: Parañaque 42, Makati 39, Caloocan 33, Pasig 30, Las Piñas and Mandaluyong 24 each, Taguig 23, Muntinlupa 20, Pasay City 18 and Valenzuela 17.

The provinces that reported more than 30 cases were led by Rizal 61, Cavite 55, Laguna 54, Cebu 47 and Cagayan 31.

The Health Agency announces 1283 new cases as testing remained low at a little more than 11,000 tests done last December 01 to yield a positivity rate of 12.2%. There were 24 added deaths today.

NCR continued to take the haul with 457 new cases or 36% of the overall share for the day. And the numbers are even underestimated or under reported.

Today’s haul in the NCR was led by Quezon City with 88 cases followed by Manila with 66. This was followed by Makati 43, Pasig 40, Parañaque 32, Muntinlupa 29, Caloocan 28, Taguig 26, Mandaluyong and Valenzuela 19 each, Las Piñas 18, Pasay City 12, Marikina 11 and Navotas 10.

In the provinces, Cebu led the haul with 68 cases followed by Cavite 62, Cagayan 46, Isabela 43, Rizal 41, Laguna 40, Bulacan and Nueva Vizcaya with 31 each.

The surprise high numbers for the day came from Camarines Norte and Zamboanga del Norte that had 21 cases each.

Data and graph above is care of Professor Guido David and shows a continued rise in the positivity rate of the National Capital Region.

The Health Agency announces 1238 new cases from a little more than only 11,000 tests done (on December 30, 2022) with a 7-day average positivity at 12%. There were 17 added deaths today.

NCR owned 31% (388) of the day’s cases.

The haul was led by Quezon City 72 followed by Manila 65 and Pasig 38. Other LGUs with double digits but less than 30 cases were: Makati 29, Taguig 26, Caloocan and Parañaque 25 each, Mandaluyong 22, Muntinlupa 19, Marikina 15, Pasay City and Las Piñas 13 each, Valenzuela and Navotas 10 each. San Juan was the only LGU in Mega Manila that reported zero covid today.

Other provinces that had more than 30 cases were: Laguna 58, Cebu 52, Cavite 49, Rizal 43, Ilocos Norte 35, Benguet and Kalinga 30 each.