Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6) – Twenty five Filipinos from the quarantined ship in Japan, who have been brought to a hospital for treatment after showing symptoms of the highly contagious novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), have been cleared of the disease.
Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo said in a briefing on Friday that 15 of the individuals have been discharged from Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in Pampanga.
They have also been transported back the the New Clark City in Tarlac to complete the quarantine period imposed on them. The rest of the evacuees who tested negative for the viral infection are still admitted in the medical facility, but they are already “asymptomatic” or showing no symptoms of a flu-like illness.
6 more evacuees being tested
Six more evacuees were referred for hospital care on Thursday after manifesting the red flag symptoms of the viral disease such as colds, fever and diarrhea, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergerie told CNN Philippines on Friday.
On Wednesday, the Department of Health told reporters 15 other evacuees from virus-hit M/V Diamond Princess vessel, who showed flu-like symptoms have already been cleared of the infectious illness.
Health worker developed sore throat
There are over 459 people being strictly monitored at the quarantine site in New Clark City.
Of the number, 440 are crew members from the virus-hit Diamond Princess vessel in Japan, five were passengers, 13 were from the Philippines’ repatriation team.
Meanwhile, a DOH data show there are still 41 patients under investigation as of Friday. These are those who exhibit flu-like symptoms, as well as those who have traveled to China or been in contact with confirmed cases. The number includes the 19 “trainees” who recently returned from South Korea, which has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases outside of mainland China with over 6,000 as of Friday.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country have gone up to five, with one fatality. Three of them were Chinese nationals from Wuhan – China’s city that is at the epicenter of the outbreak. Two of them were Filipino men – a 48-year-old with travel history to Japan and a 62-year-old Filipino man with “no known history of travel,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. The 62-year-old man is the first confirmed local case in the Philippines. One of his relatives is also being tested for the COVID-19 after manifesting common signs of the viral illness, Vergeire said.
There are nearly 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases globally with over 3,000 deaths, data from the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering show. The John Hopkins University map follows COVID-19 cases across the world.
Other suspected cases were reported in Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon, Central Visayas and Soccsksargen.
Their nose and throat swabs have already been tested to confirm if they have the COVID-19, Vergerie said, adding that the results may come out any time Friday.
