MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila have shown a “sudden downward trend” as reported cases decreased by 16 percent over the past two weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday. “The large decline in reported cases may have been largely affected by the rapid and large decline in RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) laboratory output. Lower alert level? The DOH on Monday reported 18,449 new cases, bringing the total case count to 2,509,177. She cited, for instance, the still high level of hospital bed use, which she said the DOH must consider, among other indicators, before deciding any alert level change.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 27, 2021 21:00 UTC