FOLLOWING a consistent overall improvement in the COVID-19 situation in Baguio City despite high tourist numbers, the independent OCTA research group has tagged the city as low risk.
According to Dr. Guido David of OCTA, as of Sunday, March 6, the city’s various COVID-19 metrics have been improving enough to be classified as low risk, along with two other highly urbanized cities (HUCs), while four other HUCs improved to very low risk ratings.
OCTA data shows that Baguio saw a -50 percent case growth rate, with data from the City Health Services Office (CHSO) corroborating the findings as the city
currently only has 22 active cases.
Of the five main metrics used by OCTA research in risk classification, Baguio only has one above low risk rating.
The only COVID-19 metric Baguio City has that is above low risk rating is the average daily attack rate (ADAR), or number of cases per 100,000 population. The ADAR of Baguio City currently sits at 3.09, enough to merit a moderate risk rating in said category.
However, with a reproduction number of 0.20, which is the number of cases infected by a single infected individual, a 27 percent healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) or occupancy of vital medical and isolation facilities, and a positivity rate of only five percent out of all tests conducted, Baguio City overall is tagged as low risk for COVID-19.
As of Thursday, the city has had a total of 41,413 COVID-19 cases, but 97.95 percent have resulted in successful recoveries, with 828 deaths in total.
