MANILA, Philippines — OCTA Research on Thursday flagged an increase in new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila that it said is a "cause for serious concern." The independent panel of experts noted a 27% increase in cases in Metro Manila — to 813 from 638 — between July 15 and 21. Related Stories Philippines reports 12 more cases of COVID-19 Delta variantMetro Manila's reproduction rate stood at 1.15 in that period, from just 0.91 the week before. OCTA said it observed a similar trend in February that marked the start of a surge in Metro Manila. "Our citizens need to realize that what we do will be crucial to mitigating this evolving surge in COVID cases," experts said.

Source: Philippine Star July 22, 2021 08:46 UTC