DAVAO CITY has been identified as “Minimal Risk” area based on the Community Quarantine Decision Matrix provided by the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Ashley Lopez, the Acting Davao City Health Officer, said that the classification was based on two indicators – the 2-Week Growth Rate (2WGR) and the Average Daily Attack Rate (ADAR).
“Our 2WGR is -58.26, which means naga-ubos ang atong kaso. Under this indicator, we are classified Low. Another indicator is the ADAR, naa ta sa 0.9 or less than one per 100,000. That is also classified Low (Our 2WGR is -58.26, which means our cases are decreasing. Under this indicator, we are classified Low. Another indicator is the ADAR, we are at 0.9 or less than one per 100,000. That is also classified Low),” Lopez said.
“In general, based on the classification on the risk assessment we are classified under Minimal Risk,” he added.
Although the city has still five barangays under High Risk and seven under Moderate Risk, he said Davao City has zero barangays classified under Critical Risk.
According to the matrix, Davao City has recorded 563 cases in the past three to four weeks and 235 in the past one to two weeks.
As of March 16, the city’s recovery rate is at 92 percent. Davao City has recorded 13,408 cases since March 2020, of which 398 cases or 3 percent are active cases.
“In the past two weeks compared to the last few months, remarkable gyud ang atong pagbaba and pag-improve sa atong COVID-19 situation (In the past two weeks we have a remarkable decrease of cases and we have an improved situation compared to the last few months),” he said.
Lopez also noted the occupancy rate in the city’s Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) which is at 13.8 percent. That means there are few positive cases admitted in the facilities, he said.
Meanwhile, the Southern Philippines Medical Center’s utilization rate for the COVID ward beds and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds is at less than 60 percent. They are also classified Low Utilization Healthcare Facility under the Risk Assessment Tool.
But he said the public should remain vigilant because a surge in COVID-19 cases is still possible anytime due to the increase of new variant cases in the country. This could be possible due to the loosening of travel restrictions, he said.
“Kinahanglan lang gihapon ta magbantay. Di ghapon ta pwede mag-relax. Because anytime masudlan lang ta og usa ka variant diri sa Davao, it will not be impossible nga mahitabo gihapon ang another surge (We still need to be vigilant. We should not relax because anytime if we have one variant (infection) in Davao, there may be another surge),” he said.
Lopez assured the city government is intensifying surveillance in the community, and constituents are encouraged to consult with experts and be tested whenever they experience influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI).
