COVID-19 case tally in Philippines grows to 8,488
MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, 5:05 p.m.) — The number of coronavirus infections in the Philippines rose to 8,488 Thursday, three months since health authorities first confirmed a case in the country.
The Department of Health reported 276 additional cases. The day before, 254 new cases had been reported.
There are now 1,043 patients who have survived the severe respiratory disease with the recovery of 20 more people.
But the death toll increased to 568 as 10 more individuals succumbed to the illness.
The DOH on January 30 reported that a 38-year-old female tourist from Wuhan, China—the ground zero of the pathogen—was the country’s first case. She has since recovered, while her companion died from COVID-19 and became the first fatality outside mainland China.
DOH had aimed to conduct 8,000 tests for coronavirus a day by the end of April. But the agency failed to meet its target as the current testing capacity stands at 6,320.
To date, 92,822 people have been tested in the country.
Metro Manila, Central Luzon except Aurora province, Calabarzon, Pangasinan, Benguet, including Baguio City, Iloilo, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao City will remain under enhanced community quarantine to further contain the spread of the virus.
Looser general community, meanwhile, will be implemented in moderate and low-risk provinces. The movement of people in areas under general community quarantine will be limited to accessing essential goods and services, and for work in offices and industries permitted to operate.
The coronavirus pandemic has already infected 3.2 million people worldwide, including 227,847 people who have died.
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