COVID-19 death toll in Philippines exceeds 11,000

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 11,000 after 61 new fatalities were reported in the archipelago Friday.  

A total of 11,058 people who contracted the coronavirus disease have died in the country, data from the Department of Health showed.

On Feb. 2, 2020, authorities reported the country’s first COVID-19 death: a traveler from Wuhan, China. The 44-year-old man was also the first known fatality outside mainland China.

Meanwhile, 1,894 more people caught the virus, pushing the nation’s caseload to to 533,587. Active cases accounted for 34,255 or 6.4% of the total.

The DOH also announced that 397 more patients recovered from COVID-19, taking total recoveries to 488,274.

What’s new today?

• Frontline health workers remain on top of the list of groups given priority for COVID-19 vaccination. Other sectors in the top tier include senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, frontline personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel and indigent population.
• Foreign nationals with valid and existing Special Resident and Retirees Visa will be allowed entry to the Philippines beginning February 16 despite the threat of the more transmissible COVID-19 variant. The pandemic task force also allowed the entry of foreign nationals with valid visas issued as of March 20, 2020.
• The DOH and the Department of Transportation said that motorists need not to wear face masks if they are driving a private vehicle alone. But if a driver has passengers, they are all required to wear face masks.
• Hotels in Baguio City, which is under general community quarantine, are now allowed to receive local tourists from areas that are also under GCQ.

— with report from Xave Gregorio

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