Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) — More health workers have contracted COVID-19, most of whom are nurses, the Department of Health confirmed on Tuesday.
The DOH said 29 of these medical frontliners have also lost their lives to the viral disease.
The agency said there are now 1,336 health personnel who have the new coronavirus. From this number, 507 are nurses, 493 are doctors, 74 are nursing assistants, 47 are medical technologists, 28 are radiologic technologists, 11 are midwives and 11 are respiratory therapists.
Some 165 workers such as dentists, barangay health workers and administrative aids also caught the COVID-19.
The number of COVID-19-positive medical personnel who died also rose to 29, including 22 doctors, the DOH said.
The World Health Organization earlier expressed concern over the rising rate of infected healthcare workers in the country. With the Philippines recording 7,958 cases as of its recent tally, the infection rate among medical frontliners is at 17 percent.
The WHO said it is looking at lack of personal protective equipment as the possible cause for increasing cases but the DOH has assured that more sets of PPE are being delivered to hospitals.
The agency said it delivered over 1.6 million face masks; 358,200 head caps; 301,300 gloves; 154,075 gowns; 137,675 Kn95 masks and 83,680 N95 masks, along with other equipment to hospitals and facilities on Monday.
