MANILA, Philippines — Nine more cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been documented by the Department of Health (DOH), raising the total number of confirmed cases to 33, an official said yesterday.
At a press conference, Health Assistant Secretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said two of the new cases were among the 458 repatriates from the cruise ship Diamond Princess from Japan who underwent quarantine at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
The 14-day quarantine period ends today for the rest of the repatriates cleared of the virus.
Vergeire said the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau is currently conducting “comprehensive contact tracing activities” to identify those who could have come into contact with the patients.
“With the increasing number of cases, I implore everyone to fully cooperate with us in investigation and contact tracing activities. Individuals with a known history of exposure and travel presenting mild symptoms are advised to self-isolate and undergo home quarantine for 14 days,” Vergeire said.
Those manifesting severe and critical symptoms need to be immediately admitted to health facilities, she said. Suspected cases should be reported to the DOH hotline at (02) 8-651-7800 loc 1149 or 1150 “for appropriate management and referral.”
The new cases, including the four cases reported Monday night, are now confined at various hospitals: one each at the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City, New Clark City (NCC) quarantine facility, two; and the Medical City, seven.
Four of the new cases are in stable condition, two are asymptomatic, while the status of the seven cases is still for verification.
Vergeire added that the 62-year-old Filipino male who triggered the start of local transmission of COVID-19 in the country – and the 86-year-old American – are in “guarded” condition as they are “critical” due to pre-existing conditions.
Asked if there is now community transmission of the virus in the country, she said the DOH is determining this by doing “genetic sequencing” of the virus that afflicted the cases.
Vergeire said through these procedures, they can identify if the cases are “epidemiologically linked with each other.” The DOH is expecting the initial results of the genetic sequencing within the week.
Aside from this, she revealed the DOH is also looking into the patients’ information to be able to know if they are connected with each other.
“One of our objectives is to study our data thoroughly so that we can declare (a community transmission when necessary) so that we can also elevate our response,” she added.
The official said when there is already a sustained community transmission, the response would be elevating the Code Alert System from the current Code Red Sublevel 1 to Sublevel 2.
Under this status, the DOH may impose localized lockdown wherein no one can enter or exit a particular affected area.
“Localized lockdown means that you are going to lock down an area which is localized, like it’s one part of a big area ... You will shut down only city A but not city B and city C,” she added.
Disinfection at DFA
Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) held yesterday an emergency meeting to prevent the spread of coronavirus after an employee showed signs of infection, sources said.
In a related development, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. held an emergency meeting with Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Brigido Dulay, Human Resources Management Office Assistant Secretary Antonio Morales and Office of Financial Management Services acting Assistant Secretary Myla Grace Ragenia Macahilig to discuss measures to take to contain a reported infection in the department.
“There’s no result yet of the coronavirus test but the employee has not been feeling well for almost a week,” one of the sources told The STAR. Sources said the employee’s spouse developed infection.
“That’s why SFA ordered the whole building disinfected late this afternoon,” another source said.
Meanwhile, President Duterte has defended the DOH’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
The DOH has drawn flak over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines and has been accused of being slow in contract tracing and spreading information about the illness.
Some critics have also accused the agency of hiding information about the COVID-19 patients but health officials have denied this.
“You cannot prevent it. The contamination, if it is passed from one person to another, you cannot prevent it,” Duterte told reporters last Monday.
“We have done everything in preparation. Everything is there. The policemen are there. Health workers. We formulate the rules to follow. There are rules to follow here,” he added.
Duterte said one cannot run after all infected persons, especially those who visit many places and interact with several persons.
“Walang satisfaction ‘yang ano. Trabaho lang tayo (It’s not about satisfaction. We just work),” the President said.
“When does satisfaction come in? If only 40 people died? 50? Or it wipes out the whole town?” he added.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo also disputed claims that the DOH underreported the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases but admitted that the lack of testing kits is affecting information dissemination efforts.
“That criticism on underreporting is not true. How can they (DOH) report something they do not know? With regard to those who claim that they were not aware of the cases, maybe they were not listening to the briefings,” Panelo said at a press briefing yesterday.
“That is precisely why, remember yesterday, I was appealing to all media outlets to broadcast briefings, advisories of the DOH so they could reach the people,” he added.
Panelo said contact tracing takes time as it involves interviewing patients and their families. – Alexis Romero, Pia Lee-Brago
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