MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, 5:19 p.m.) — The coronavirus outbreak has already infected more than 8,000 people in the Philippines nearly three months after health authorities first detected a case.
The Department of Health recorded 8,212 infections in the country Wednesday, with the addition of 254 more infections in the past 24 hours.
The number of people who have survived the severe respiratory illness reached 1,023 after 48 new recoveries were reported.
Meanwhile, the country saw 28 additional fatalities related to COVID-19. This pushed the total number of patients who died from the coronavirus to 558.
The country is now capable of conducting 6,320 coronavirus tests each day but Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Philippines is likely to miss its target of 8,000 tests per day by the end of April.
To date, 89,021 have been tested in the country.
Metro Manila, Central Luzon except Aurora province, Calabarzon, Pangasinan, Benguet including Baguio City, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao City will remain under enhanced community quarantine until May 15 to further quell the spread of the virus.
32 deaths among health workers
The total number of healthcare workers in the Philippines who have contracted COVID-19 reached 1,552 as of Wednesday.
Healthcare workers accounted for 19% of the country’s confirmed infections.
Of the number, 571 are nurses, while 548 are doctors. Ninety-seven nursing assistances, 60 medical technologists, 30 radiologic technologists, 18 respiratory therapists, 17 midwives and 11 pharmacists have also been infected with COVID-19.
The remaining 200 healthcare workers with coronavirus are barangay health workers, administrative aides and utility aides.
Doctors accounted for most of the fatalities, representing 24 of 32 total deaths.
The pandemic has claimed the lives of 216,989 people out of the 3.1 million infected worldwide.
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