MANILA — Intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy in regions most affected by the recent increase in COVID-19 cases is rising to "moderate risk" level, the Department of Health said Monday, prompting it to ask the public not to be complacent and adhere to strict health protocols.

In general though, occupancy of COVID-dedicated beds across the country is still considered low as Dr. Beverly Ho, Director of the Health Promotion Bureau and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, said health care utilization rate (HCUR) is at 35 percent, indicating "low risk".

Based on the government's March 14, 2021 COVID-19 Tracker report, there are 28,942 beds allotted for virus patients all over the country, broken down as follows: 2,089 ICU beds, 17,508 isolation beds, and 9,345 ward beds. Of the total, 10,264 are beds are occupied.

Ho said that ICU beds in Metro Manila, which has seen a notable spike in new coronavirus infections recently, is already 65 percent occupied, and 38 percent of mechanical ventilators are already being used.

"Yung ICU natin (Our ICU), that's already at moderate risk," she said.

HCUR is at 49 percent in Metro Manila, higher than the national rate but within the so-called "safe zone."

• READ: COVID-19 cases rising: More NCR hospitals on full capacity 'just like last year'

In Region 7, another area logging more COVID-19 cases and where the P.3 variant has been detected, ICU bed occupancy is at 49 percent, while its HCUR is at 47 percent.

Region 11, which includes Davao City, registered an ICU bed occupancy rate of 52 percent, although its HCUR is only at 33%.

The Cordillera Administrative Region, which had local transmission of the more transmissible United Kingdom variant, has an ICU bed occupancy rate of 71 percent, while its HCUR is 56 percent.

“We cannot just be complacent about the numbers now because the ICU beds are slowly being filled up,” Ho said.

“Habang malaki yung total number of cases natin, inevitably, malaki yung number ng mapupunta sa ICU," she added.

(As long as the total number of cases are high, it is inevitable that a large number of patients will end up in the ICU).

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Nationwide, ICU bed occupancy is at 45.33 percent, based on the latest COVID-19 Tracker.

Isolation beds, meanwhile, are 37.7 percent occupied, and ward beds, 29.07 percent.

Of the country's 2,137 mechanical ventilators, 25.78 percent are being utilized.

In its COVID-19 bulletin on Monday, the DOH said 1.4 percent of the country's 53,479 active cases are considered severe, while another 1.4 percent are in critical condition.

Ho said there is a need to slow down the transmission of the COVID-19 variant, especially since its reproduction number is at almost 2.

A reproduction number of more than 1 means the infection is spreading to more people, since one infected person can pass the virus to one or more people. A reproduction number of 2 means a patient can infect two people.

Ho said the goal is to reduce the reproduction number to less than 1 to curb transmission, and this can be done if people follow health standards, such as the wearing of face masks and shields, and the practice of physical distancing.

• READ: Metro Manila curfew to affect virus reproduction rate: OCTA Research

“Nakikiusap tayo sa lahat. Konti pang tiis sa ating mga kababayan. Alam natin mahirap pero the last few months, medyo nagkaroon tayo ng opportunity na nakalabas tayo nang kaunti. Pero kung ano yung ginawa natin nung Christmas, sana magawa natin ulit,” she said.

(We are appealing to everyone. We just need to endure some more. We know it’s been hard but in the last few months, we had the opportunity to go out. We hope we can still do what we did last Christmas.)

The health sector was bracing for an increase in cases due to the holidays last year. But it did not happen, at least at the time when the cases were expected to rise.

• READ: No need for 'timeout' yet despite COVID-19 surge, says doctors' group

Asked if it is really public compliance that is the problem, Ho pointed out that people can see others violating health protocols in workplaces and even in households.

“Lahat naman tayo, we have to acknowledge na medyo may pandemic fatigue na yung mga tao. And we cannot blame each other, but only encourage and support each other,” she said.

She acknowledged that there is also a need to open up the community, which means people are going out and there will be more chances of transmission.

“Enforcement is also going to be critical part,” Ho said, adding that barangay officials should continue to remind people about health standards.

“The idea here is consistency of our measures. We know what our measures are,” she said even as she acknowledged it can be difficult to maintain habits and stay consistent.

• READ: Philippines confirms 4,899 new COVID-19 cases; tally now at 621,498

The Philippines on Monday enters the third week of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Nearly 627,000 coronavirus infections have so far been reported in the country.