Quezon City Hall (PNA file photo)
MANILA – Quezon City is still under a "very low risk" category despite reporting a slight increase in the number of its coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the past few days.
As of Thursday, the city government logged a total of 141 active Covid-19 cases or 0.05 percent which is slightly higher than the 139 active Covid-19 cases recorded on Wednesday and the 108 active cases on Tuesday.
“Patuloy pa ring mag-ingat at huwag maging kampante sa banta ng Covid-19 at mga variant nito (Continue to be careful and do not be complacent about the threat of Covid-19 and its variants,” according to a Facebook post of the Quezon City government on Wednesday.
The same post also quoted the latest data of OCTA Research Group, showing the city has recorded a slight increase of new Covid-19 cases per day which is 13 from the 12 new cases last week.
The city’s positivity rate also rose from 1.6 percent last week to the present 1.7 percent.
Positivity rate refers to the number of persons infected from those who tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the city’s Reproduction Number (RO) that shows the severity of infection from the disease also rose from 0.49 last week to 0.67.
Despite the increase, the city government said that an RO lower than 1 means that each confirmed Covid-19 case has a lower chance of causing a new infection.
In a message sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday, City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) head Dr. Rolly Cruz said two of the close contacts from the city of the first detected case of BA.2.12 in the country tested negative.
“Tapos na po namin ito ma-traced, last April 23, meron na sila negative results and tapos na yung quarantine period nila (We have traced them, last April 23 they already had negative results and they are also done with the quarantine period),” Cruz said.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that the country has detected the first cases of the new Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12 involving a 52-year-old Finnish national who arrived in the country last April 2 and conducted seminars in a university in Quezon City and then in Baguio.
The DOH has assured that the 44 close contacts recorded, nine in Quezon City, five in Benguet, and 30 during the woman's flight to the country are strictly monitored with some already tested negative for the virus. (PNA)
