Octa says PH COVID positivity rate now below 5%
MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 positivity rate nationwide has dipped below 5 percent, according to Octa Research fellow Guido David.
In a Twitter post on Saturday evening, David said the rate was at 4.9 percent as of July 22, slightly lower than 5 percent recorded the day before and last July 20.
Citing the Department of Health’s (DOH) latest data, David reported that the country logged 290 new coronavirus infections, including 45 cases from the National Capital Region.
He added that with these latest findings, new cases nationwide may range from 200 to 300 on July 23.
David also reported that the Philippines had logged 4,171,063 cases with 5,278 active cases, while 4,099,243 recovered and 66,542 died, based on DOH’s latest COVID-19 tracker.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lifted the COVID-19 public health emergency in the country following Proclamation No. 297 he signed last July 21.
Under this directive, the emergency status nationwide has been “withdrawn, revoked or canceled and shall no longer be in effect,” explaining that the Philippines maintained “sufficient healthcare system capacity” and “low hospital bed utilization rates” as it gradually eased in COVID-19 health protocols.