COVID-19 Crisis: OCTA’s Dr. Guido David states that the growth rate of NCR COVID-19 cases is slowing down

Even though it has been confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) that the nation registered more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases for the period of July 4 to 10, 2022, Dr. Guido David of OCTA Research stated that there is a slowing down of the growth rate at 32%, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…

The COVID-19 wave in the National Capital Region could already be close to peaking following the decrease of the weekly growth rate, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Tuesday.

In a tweet, David said it is possible the COVID-19 wave in the region could have peaked already, citing the decrease of growth rate from 57% on July 4 to 32% on July 11.

He said the positivity rate was 10.9% as of July 10. The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

The indicators show a slowing down of the growth rate in cases and there is a chance that cases in the NCR are peaking or have already peaked,” David said.

“The trends should be clearer after a week. The seven-day average in cases in the NCR was 710 as of July 11, equivalent to an ADAR (average daily attack rate) of 4.93% per day per 100,000,” he added.

The ADAR pertains to the incidence showing the average number of new cases in a period per 100,000 people.

Now that you have read the above news, it is important right now to get yourselves vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 not just for your sake but also for your family’s safety as well as your job. I urge you all to reject whatever pieces of misinformation and distorted details of COVID-19 that the anti-vaccine fanatics throw at you.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Do you think that the NCR won’t end up with a higher average of new COVID-19 cases over the next few weeks? Have you encountered the anti-vaccine fanatics lately? Are you aware that anti-vaccine fanatics have no real solutions to offer with regards to the COVID-19 crisis everyone is struggling with?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: President Marcos says the wearing of face masks would become optional if booster shot campaign succeeds

If you are sick or tired of wearing face masks after enduring more than two years of this COVID-19 crisis we are still living with, you are not alone. Recently, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. stated that the wearing of face masks would become optional if the booster shot campaign succeeds, the Manila Bulletin reported.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

Wearing of face masks would become optional if the government’s booster shot drive against Covid-19 succeeds, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said.

Marcos, however, said that easing of restrictions to that extent would be a long shot as his administration attempts to duplicate the national vaccination rollout done last year.

“[L]et us return to the idea of what we did last year na magkaroon ulit ng (to have another) vaccine rollout. Gawin na natin ito para makatiyak na tayo (Let’s do this now so we can be assured),” the President said in his virtual speech during his supposed face-to-face meeting with local government units officials in Malacañang on Friday night, July 8.

At pagka maging matagumpay ang ating booster rollout ay makikita naman natin siguro puwede na nating ibaba ang mga alert level, puwede na nating gawing optional ang mask (And if the booster rollout succeeds, perhaps we can lower the alert level and make wearing of mask optional),” Marcos added.

The Chief Executive stressed that making the wearing of masks optional will not be enforced until it’s crystal clear that it will be safe to do so in order to prevent the return of surging cases in the country.

“Pero hindi po natin gagawin ‘yan hanggang maliwanag na maliwanag na safe na talaga. Dahil although so far maganda naman ang takbo, hindi naman napupuno ang mga ospital. Ngunit kung hindi tayo maingat, mapupunta na naman tayo doon (But we will not do that yet until it is very clear that it’s already safe. Because although, so far, hospitals are not overwhelmed, if we don’t remain cautious, we will again go back there),” Marcos said.

The government is planning to implement a booster rollout for children in an attempt to fully open schools for face-to-face classes before the year ends.

Making the wearing of face masks optional is a new challenge not just for the national government but also for the provincial government units and local government units that are doing their respective parts in the fight against COVID-19. In recent times, it was reported that more than 70 million people nationwide got fully vaccinated (2 doses of most COVID-19 vaccines) while more than 15 million got their first booster shot.

I personally support the idea of intensifying the booster shot campaign as only a minority of the fully vaccinated patients got boosted. That being said, it would also be good for the country if only the Department of Health (DOH) would officially declare more boosted patients (including the comorbid patients among them) eligible to get their 2nd booster shots, especially if more than six months had passed since the first booster shot was administered to them. Clearly, more COVID-19 vaccination sites need to be set up on the local level to ensure better immunization. In fact, the vaccination sites that got closed down need to be reopened. As for the national government, they need to release COVID-19 vaccines that are nearing expiration. Let me add that the national daily count of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 2,000.

Let me end this by asking you readers: Do you desire that the national government and other government units nationwide would declare the wearing of face masks optional? What do you think the DOH should do next in order to allow more patients to get their first or second booster shots? Are the anti-vaccine fanatics out there still bothering you or even harassing you? Do you realize that the anti-vaccine fanatics offer no real solutions to the COVID-19 problems of our nation?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Rise of cases in Muntinlupa City not a cause for alarm yet

Today, Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon gave an important update about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city and specified that it is not a cause for alarm yet, the Manila Bulletin reported.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon reminded the public to follow health protocols such as wearing of face masks as the number of Covid-19 cases in the city is rising although not a cause for alarm yet.

This morning I would like to emphasize the reminder on health protocols. Cases are rising although it is not a cause for alarm,” said Biazon during the weekly flag-raising ceremony at the Muntinlupa City hall quadrangle on July 11.

Based on data from the City Health Office (CHO), Muntinlupa added 29 new Covid-19 cases on July 10 to bring the total active cases to 125. There were also 11 patients who recovered and one who died.

The mayor said based on health care utilization rate in Muntinlupa, the Covid-19 situation is not yet a cause for alarm.

So far our health facilities are not overwhelmed, we do not feel that there is a crisis. Cases are rising but we will not be overwhelmed based on the report that was given to me. But that is a reason for us to be on alert. We should never let our guard down,” said Biazon.

He added, “Let us remind everyone to follow protocols, here at work, at home, within the community just to stop the spread. We don’t want that to spread to the point that it will be a concern.”

“As of now, nothing to be alarmed about but we should be alert,” he said.

The above article ended stating that of the 125 COVID-19 cases in Muntinlupa City, 27 of that were in Barangay Cupang, 23 in Barangay Tunasan, 19 in Barangay Alabang and 16 in Barangay Ayala Alabang to name some.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you feeling uneasy about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city? What can you say about the reported statements of Mayor Biazon? Were there any anti-vaccine fanatics out there who approached you with their campaign of distorted information? Do you think the anti-vaccine fanatics will organizing something sinister to undermine the City Government of Muntinlupa?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: OCTA says Metro Manila’s COVID-19 cases may peak this month

There is no denying that COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila have been rising which is why there are renewed efforts to encourage people to follow health protocols, wear masks and avoid becoming complacent. That being said, the OCTA Research Group stated that Metro Manila COVID-19 cases may peak this month, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Recently, a slow down on the COVID-19 growth rate was seen.  

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

With the steady increase in new infections in Metro Manila, the OCTA Research Group projected that the Covid-19 cases in the region may peak between the first and second week of July.

In a televised briefing on Monday, July 4, OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David noted that Metro Manila’s Covid-19 growth rate was at 50 percent but that it has slowed down in the past week.

The region’s reproduction number was at around 1.5 to 1.6, while the positivity rate increased from 6 percent to 8.3 percent.

Reproduction number refers to the average number of secondary infections by each infected individual, while positivity rate refers to the number of individuals who yielded positive results from among those who have been tested for Covid-19.

David said that while the Covid growth rate in some areas in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) is increasing, the growth rate in Metro Manila has slowed down but is still increasing.

“We’re hoping the peak will come within one to two weeks. From there, baka magkaroon na ng downtrend (there may already be a downtrend). But then these are just projections. Baka magbago pa ito (These may still change),” David said.

Knowing the newest details from the above news report, it is best to keep on following health protocols as well as getting vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19. Ignore all of those anti-vaccine fanatics and get vaccinated or boosted whenever you have the opportunity to do so. Call your local vaccination site or the local authorities now to find if you are eligible for a vaccine shot or a booster shot. The national authorities, meanwhile, has to move quickly to allow comorbid patients access to 2nd booster shots.

Let me end this by asking you readers: Does the current COVID-19 situation of Metro Manila make you feel uneasy? Have there been any anti-vaccine fanatics who tried to fool you into supporting their cause?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Mayor Biazon issues orders to deal with rising COVID-19 cases

In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, local cases of COVID-19 have been rising similar to that of the entire Metro Manila. In response, the new city Mayor Ruffy Biazon ordered the departments of the City Government to tackle the COVID-19 problem, according to a Manila Bulletin report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon has ordered city government department heads to address the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the city.

This, after the City Health Office (CHO) reported on July 3 that the number of active Covid-19 cases in Muntinlupa rose to 96 from 45 a week ago.

Muntinlupa’s weekly new Covid-19 cases totaled 164 from June 27 to July 3, an increase of 103 new cases or 168.8 percent from 61 cases tallied from June 20 to 26.

On July 3, the CHO recorded 41 new Covid-19 cases in Muntinlupa from 23 the previous day on July 2 to bring the total active cases to 96.

“Immediate concern natin is rising cases of Covid-19 (Our immediate concern is the rising cases of Covid-19),” said Biazon during the flag-raising ceremony at the Muntinlupa City hall quadrangle on July 4.

He said the rising number of Covid-19 cases “has become a concern” especially if the total breaches the 100 mark.

“I think we really definitely have to take action,” he said.

Biazon said he asked City Administrator Allan Cachuela to convene an emergency briefing about the Covid-19 situation in Muntinlupa.

“Let us take this seriously. Ayaw natin na mag-run away yung problema ng Covid sa Muntinlupa especially that we are still coping with yung recovery from the initial surge and yung epekto ng international situation natin. (We don’t want the problem of Covid in Muntinlupa to run away especially that we are still coping with the recovery from the initial surge and the effects of the international situation),” he said.

The mayor said health protocols should be implemented.

“Let us all be advocates of following health protocols. Let us make sure everyone is well informed of these protocols na dapat nating gawin (Let us make sure everyone is well informed of these protocols that we should do),” he said.

Muntinlupa CHO chief Dr. Juancho Bunyi told Manila Bulletin that the “new cases are close contacts who had their test done in private and tested positive.”

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think that people in the city have gotten complacent with following health protocols? Do you think that the City Government should set up more new vaccination sites? Do you want to see the Department of Health (DOH) declare more people from the general population to become eligible for the 2nd booster shot? Do you think that the anti-vaccine fanatics and activists will come to Muntinlupa to spread fear and misinformation?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Almost 11,000 patients received 2nd booster shots in Muntinlupa City

As new COVID-19 infections in Metro Manila keep rising, the City Government of Muntinlupa announced through its health office that almost 11,000 people have received their 2nd booster shots locally, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Along the way, the number of Muntinlupa City patients described as fully vaccinated has reached over 500,000.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

Nearly 11,000 people have been given their second booster shot in Muntinlupa, the City Health Office (CHO) reported.

As of June 17, 10,972 individuals have been given the second booster shot out of the 141,449 who got their first booster shot or 7.75 percent.

Of the 10,972 recipients, 2,168 came from Barangay Putatan, 1,254 from Ayala Alabang, 1,182 from Alabang, 1,103 from Tunasan, 1,046 from Cupang, 1,014 from Poblacion, 710 from Sucat, 463 from Bayanan, and 157 from Buli. A total of 1,875 recipients were unclassified.

The total number of first booster recipients is 31.96 percent of the target population of 441,517, or 80 percent of the total population of 553,146.

There are 501,452 individuals who are fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa, or 113.32 percent of the target population.

Among 12 to 17 years old, a total of 49,594 have been fully vaccinated, or 71.85 percent of the total population of 56,499.

The Department of Health (DOH) has approved giving booster shots to 12 to 17 years old but guidelines have yet to be released.

In addition, 16,080 minors aged five to 11 have been fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa, or 23.58 percent of the total population of 68,198.

Having read the above news report excerpt, I encourage you to get vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 whenever you have the chance. Be aware that the anti-vaccine fanatics here in the Philippines are spreading their deceptive propaganda to fool people from getting vaccinated/boosted. Be aware that anti-vaccine fanatics themselves have NO REAL SOLUTIONS AGAINST COVID-19 itself.

To all Muntinlupa City residents reading this, if you need to get vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19, you should contact MunCoVac as soon as possible.

More on the aspect of immunizing people around the country, I can only hope that the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos will reach out to Russia to acquire new supplies of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines as they registered strong resistance against the more infectious Omicron variant.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident who already received your first booster shot (following the first two doses that made you a fully vaccinated patient), have you checked with the local authorities to find out if you are eligible for the 2nd booster shot? Did you encounter any anti-vaccine fanatic online or in person lately?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Joint study reveals that Sputnik V demonstrates 97% efficacy against Omicron-caused hospitalization following revaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V

Recently, a study (involving Russian scientists including representatives of the City Clinical Hospital No. 67 and the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology) revealed that the Russian vaccine Sputnik V demonstrated 97% efficacy against hospitalization caused by the Omicron variant following revaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V, according to a press release published online.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the press release published by SputnikVaccine.com. Some parts in boldface…

The Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Gamaleya Center) today announced that Vaccines, the leading peer-reviewed medical journal, has published the results of a joint study conducted by team of scientists including representatives of Moscow’s City Clinical Hospital No. 67 named after L.A. Vorokhobov and the Gamaleya Center showing the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine is 97% effective against hospitalisation caused by the Omicron variant of coronavirus (B.1.1.529) among those vaccinated with 3 or 4 components (re-vaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V after Sputnik V).

The corresponding article has been peer-reviewed and is available at:

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/6/938/htm

The study was conducted from 11 January to 21 February 2022 involving over 1,000 patients in Moscow. Sputnik V showed high efficacy against hospitalisation at 85.9% among patients vaccinated with at least one component. Efficacy among those vaccinated with 3 or 4 components (re-vaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V after Sputnik V) rose to:

o   97% against any cases of hospitalisation;

o   97.7% against moderate-severe and more severe cases;

o   98.6% against severe and critical cases;

o   99.4% against critical cases.

As authors note, “the study shows that vaccination with Sputnik V and Sputnik Light has a high effectiveness for protection against hospitalisation. The reduction in the severity of COVID-19 regarding the Omicron variant was also observed. The greatest effectiveness was evident in protection against a critical course of the disease requiring patients to be admitted to the intensive care unit.”

While it is very difficult to talk about Russia-related matters due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war (note: help the people of Ukraine by donating through Hillsong Church online), it is important to focus on what Sputnik vaccines are able to do as the whole world continues to struggle to bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis economically, socially and medically. With regards to my native Philippines, the daily count of new COVID-19 infections has gone up nationwide in recent times. The Metro Manila cities of Muntinlupa and Pasig each had their own shares of increased new COVID-19 infections.

I can only hope that the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., will consider acquiring more doses of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light even though the national authorities are trying to balance supply of COVID-19 vaccines with the rather slugging public response in terms of getting vaccinated or boosted at their local vaccination sites. The formulation behind Sputnik V and Sputnik Light should be strongly considered when it comes to immunizing as many Filipinos as possible from COVID-19, including the more infectious Omicron variant and its sub-variants.  

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Have you ever been vaccinated or boosted with a Sputnik vaccine? Did you receive at least two doses of Sputnik V already? Does your local vaccination site have Sputnik V or Sputnik Light in supply right now? Did anyone from the anti-vaccine fanatics community turn violent against you because you refused to believe in them?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: NCR cases growth rate spikes

As the Philippines recently registered its highest single-day number of new cases of COVID-19 in months, OCTA Research announced that it found the one-week growth rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) spiked to 71%, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news. Some parts in boldface…

The National Capital Region’s COVID-19 cases one-week growth rate climbed to 71%, independent group OCTA Research said Saturday.

The group said NCR’s “7-day average increased from 103 to 176 (as of June 11 to 17), a 71% increase.

This translates to an ADAR (average daily attack rate) of 1.24,” it added. ADAR pertains to the incidence showing the average number of new cases in a period per 100,000 people.

The NCR reported 282 new cases on June 17, 2022, based on DOH data. With the exception of April 3 (when there was a high number due to possible backlog), this is the highest number of new cases since February 26, 2022,” OCTA said.

The coronavirus reproduction number meanwhile also went up to 1.80 in NCR as of June 14, an increase over the 1.40 as of June 7. The reproduction rate refers to the number of people infected by one case. A reproduction number that is below 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down.

Also climbing up is the positivity rate in the region, now at 3.7%. This refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

OCTA however noted that despite the rise in these metrics in NCR, the hospital bed utilization and ICU utilization rates are still low at 22% and 17%, respectively.

“So far, the numbers we are seeing have been in line with our projections: a weak surge and no escalation of alert levels or restrictions because we expect our healthcare system will be able to manage the relatively low number of hospitalizations,” the group said.

OCTA then reminded the public to be responsible, follow health protocols and get COVID-19 booster shots to prevent infection.

As seen above, the COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila is getting worse in terms of infections but not with hospital bed utilization and ICU utilization which have registered low rates respectively. There’s no need yet to move the alert level system up. Such upward adjustments will depend on the metrics of the IATF. As we have seen before, more restrictions mean serious economic damage.

Key solutions to preventing a surge of new COVID-19 infections include getting vaccinated/boosted, wearing face masks and following health protocols properly. Along the way, I urge you to never let the anti-vaccine fanatics around you to fool you with their propaganda and misinformation tactics. Those anti-vaccine fanatics are loud and they don’t really offer any solutions on dealing with COVID-19.

Ignore those anti-vaccine fanatics and get vaccinated or boosted whenever you have the opportunity to do so. Call your local vaccination site or the local authorities now to find if you are eligible for a vaccine shot or a booster shot. When traveling around, wear your mask and follow local health protocols to avoid infection. The national authorities, meanwhile, should move quickly to allow comorbid patients access to 2nd booster shots and make adjustments to improve access to vaccines and vaccination hubs.

Let me end this by asking you readers: Does the recent spike of COVID-19 infections in the NCR scare you? Could it be possible that some of those who recently got infected were victims of the misinformation tactics of the anti-vaccine fanatics in our country? If have been boosted already for COVID-19, have you made moves to find out if you are eligible for the 2nd booster shot?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Comorbid patients should be declared eligible for 2nd booster shot

As there are indications that the daily count of new cases of COVID-19 in the National Capital Region (NCR) here in the Philippines is climbing up (read here and here) and that the Omicron subvariant is slowly infecting more people, a recommendation to declare comorbid patients eligible for the 2nd booster shot (note: the 4th shot for most brands of COVID-19 vaccines) has been made, according to an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). It remains to be seen how fast the national authorities in-charge of COVID-19 vaccination operations will respond.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

The number of ailments in a person should also be considered as criteria for second booster eligibility, the country’s Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) said Wednesday.

In a Laging Handa briefing, VEP chairperson Nina Gloriani said a person who has two or more diseases is similarly vulnerable to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“We agree, we actually recommend na ‘yong mga may comorbidities (masama) kasi hindi rin natin malaman ano ang level ng immunocompromised na tinatawag sa comorbidity (We agree, we actually recommend that those with comorbidity should be eligible because we don’t really know the level of immunocompromised among those with comorbidity),” she said.

Gloriani cited a recent study showing that for those with two or more ailments, such as diabetes and chronic respiratory illness, the level of immunocompromise is higher.

“Mas mataas ang immunocompromise ng taong ‘yon so kailangan nating ma-consider ‘yon sa pagbibigay ng second booster as well. Hindi necessarily sinabi nating parang wala siyang immunocompromise, kailangan malaman natin ‘yong medical status plus how many ba ‘yan (Their immunocompromise is higher so we should also consider that when giving second booster. We need to know their medical status and the number of their disease),” she said.

At present, immunocompromised persons who are eligible for a second booster include those who have cancer, HIV/AIDS, primary immunodeficiency, those who take immunosuppressants, and those who received an organ transplant.

Let me end this by asking you readers: Do you believe it is high time for comorbid patients to be declared eligible to receive 2nd booster shots? Do you think that the national authorities in-charge of vaccination operations should give comorbid patients the green light for 2nd booster shots? Are there many comorbid patients in your local community who successfully received their first booster shots already? Did any anti-vaccine fanatic out there bother you lately?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: National Task Force (NTF) aims to fully vaccinate over 70 million people by June 30, 2022

Have you been harassed by anti-vaccine fanatics lately? You better not pay attention to them because the Philippines still needs all the public’s understanding and cooperation to overcome COVID-19’s varied effects (in terms of health, economics and society) and push forward with the national recovery efforts. As part of those efforts, the National Task Force (NTF) announced that it is aiming to have more than 70,000,000 people nationwide fully vaccinated (two shots of most COVID-19 vaccines) by June 30, 2022, according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that this is not to be confused with either the 1st booster shot nor the 2nd booster shot.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…

The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 is eyeing to get at least 70 million Filipinos fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the Duterte administration ends on June 30.

During outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People aired on Monday night, NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said their target was based on the data gathered by the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC).

NVOC’s figures showed that the country’s average four-week jab rate for the first dose was at 321,083, while 242,606 second doses were administered on average over the same period.

“‘Yung atin pong best case scenario na bago po tayo matapos ang ating administrasyon, ang nakikita po namin ang pinaka-honest-to-goodness na aming assessment sa individuals with at least one dose, 75 million po tayo; and then ‘yung fully vaccinated po ay 70,087,920,” Galvez said.

(Our best case scenario based on our honest-to-goodness assessment is that 75 million people will get their first dose, while 70,087,920 will be fully vaccinated.)

As of June 6, a total 74,221,490 Filipinos have received their first dose, while 69,519,052 individuals were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government earlier set a target of fully vaccinating 90 million by the end of Duterte’s term. However, NVOC chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said they would already be “happy” if they reach 77 million by then.

Galvez explained that the government originally aimed at vaccinating 70 million Filipinos based on the National Vaccination Plan. However, this figure was increased to 90 million due to the transmissions of new COVID-19 variants such as the Omicron sub variants BA.5, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4 which were recently detected in the country.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have received your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, what was the brand and how long has it been since you got injected? Have you verified with your local community’s vaccination hubs or the local authorities if you are eligible for the 2nd vaccine shot? If there are already fully vaccinated people in your local community, did you notice if they already received their respective booster shots?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673