8 dead of COVID-19 in NCMH

MANILA, Philippines — Eight persons from the National  Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong City have died of COVID-19 since March while at least 102 others were infected, Mayor Carmelita Abalos said yesterday.

The eight are among the 135 persons in Mandaluyong who died of COVID-19, Abalos said. The city health department did not disclose who among the fatalities were NCMH patients.

Abalos said of the 102 other cases at the NCMH, 90 have recovered while only 12 are still undergoing treatment.

Mandaluyong has at least 4,052 COVID-19 cases, with 3,253 or 80.28 percent recoveries.

The barangays with the most number of cases are Addition Hills with 671, followed by Highway Hills with 336 and Hulo with 286.

The city health department is monitoring at least 1,817 other individuals who have exhibited symptoms of the illness.

17th cop dies of virus

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old policeman infected with COVID-19 has died, bringing to 17 the number of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel who succumbed to the virus.

The patient, who was assigned to the National Capital Region Police Office, died while being treated in a hospital on Thursday.

The police officer is among the 44 new COVID-19 cases documented by the PNP on Friday night, bringing the total to 5,329.

The PNP said 3,924 or 73.63 percent of the patients have recovered from the virus while 1,388 or 26.04 percent of the infected are recuperating in hospitals or quarantine facilities.

PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan assured the public their law enforcement activities are not affected despite the increasing number of COVID-19 infections among their ranks.

“The PNP goes on for as long as the recoveries are high and the infections are low,” he said.

Twenty-seven of the new cases are from Metro Manila, which is under a general community quarantine.

The other regions with new cases are Central Visayas with seven, Calabarzon with four, Zamboanga peninsula with three, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region with two and Eastern Visayas with one.