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| The Philippines remains at low risk for COVID-19, even though the number of ICU patients has slightly increased, according to DOH. |
The Department of Health (DOH) says that the Philippines is still not at high risk for COVID-19, even though a few more people are being admitted to hospitals' intensive care units (ICUs).
"Nationally, we have remained in the low-risk case classification even though we have an increase in our ICU admissions and in severe and critical cases,," said Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH officer-in-charge over the weekend.
Vergeire said that the rate of ICU use in the country has gone up from 26 percent to 28 percent.
She also said that the "steady rise" in COVID-19 cases that sent people to the ICU because they were very sick or dying started in July.
"The number of severe and critical patients in our ICU is almost the same as it was in March," said Vergeire.
As of August 10, 871 cases of COVID-19 were very bad or critical. This is 9.27% of the total number of admissions.
On the other hand, most of those hospitalized have mild cases (40.77%) or no symptoms (40.98%).
Vergeire also said that the Philippines stay in the low-risk category because there are an average of 3.51 attacks per 100,000 people there every day.
For an area to be considered moderate risk, ADAR must find up to six COVID-19 cases a day per 100,000 people.