QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- Infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña on Monday said there is no need to increase the alert level in the National Capital Region (NCR) even though it has logged more than 4,000 confirmed cases in three consecutive days.

During the Laging Handa public briefing, Salvaña noted that there are metrics to be followed in the Alert Level System for COVID-19.

“Unang-una, kapag umabot sa more than 50 percent 'yong ating healthcare utilization. At kahit umabot sa 50 percent, kailangan din nating tingnan iyong ADAR, 'yung (Firstly, the healthcare utilization has to exceed 50 percent. And even if it reaches 50 percent, we have to consider the ADAR, the) average daily attack rate, and this has to be more than 18,” he said.

Currently, the region’s ADAR is still below 18, he added.

Meanwhile, in a Twitter post Monday, OCTA Research Group's Dr. Guido David said that as of August 6, the positivity rate in NCR increased from 15.5 percent to 17.5 percent.

The positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested. (PIA-NCR)