MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said Metro Manila posted a slight rise in terms of new COVID-19 cases in the past week, but said the uptick is not alarming.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the capital region posted a 1.6 percent rise in positivity rate. Fourteen out of the 17 areas in the country had a positive growth rate. 

In a separate statement, the DOH said NCR's positivity rate was at 2 percent between June 2 and June 8. 

"Sa ngayon, nakikita natin, nasa low-risk pa naman tayo. Ibig sabihin itong mga kaso natin, hindi pa nasu-sustain ang pagtaas na tuloy-tuloy," Vergeire said in a public briefing.

"Ibig sabihin nadadagdagan po ang kaso pero katulad ng sinabi natin, hindi pa siya ganoon ka-significant because ang ating admissions naman sa mga ospital ay hindi pa tumataas pa at ang ating severe and critical, hindi pa mataas," she added. 

Vergeire attributed the uptick in fresh COVID-19 cases to the presence of more transmissible omicron subvariants and the population's "waning immunity." 

"Marami sa mga kababayan natin ang hindi kumukuha ng mga boosters and maaaring maging factor din ito dito po sa pagtaas ng kaso dito sa NCR and other areas," she said. 

Philippines logged 287 new cases on Friday, 121 of which came from Metro Manila, data analyzed by the ABS-CBN Data Analytics team showed. 

ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said this is the highest daily rise in almost 2 months or since April 20.

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