The DOH on Thursday said the rise in recoveries may be due to health workers and the health system getting a better grasp of treating COVID-19, and due to early identification of cases through expanded testing.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 12) — Health officials reported 615 new COVID-19 cases and 289 recoveries, the most number of survivors listed in a day.
The Department of Health on Friday said 336 of the 24,787 total infected patients were fresh cases, meaning their results were released within the last three days. The remaining 279 were part of the case validation backlog, the DOH added.
Ninety-seven fresh cases were from Metro Manila and 92 were in Central Visayas, while the 147 others were in different regions, the case bulletin said. Late cases were found in Metro Manila with 84 infected residents, Central Visayas with 20 cases, and 165 scattered throughout other areas. Ten of these were Filipinos brought home from overseas, the department noted.
Total recoveries have also jumped to 5,454 while deaths rose to 1,052 with 16 additional fatalities.
Meanwhile, 21 more Filipinos in 51 countries and regions contracted the disease, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The total number of infected among overseas Filipinos rose to 5,490; 1,048 of whom were verified by the DOH.
Five new deaths were also recorded, bringing the death toll to 395, while 2,369 have recovered, the agency mentioned.
The department has also recently updated its criteria for tagging a patient as a recovered case. The agency said the infected patient does not need to take a repeat test to confirm if he or she still has the virus, rather, the patient’s doctor just needs to assess if he or she still has symptoms.
If the patient does not exhibit symptoms for at least three days, he or she is free to leave the hospital or quarantine facility and will be tagged as “recovered,” DOH explained.
From the nationwide tally, the department also noted 17,974 active or currently ill cases, of whom 17,292 people, or 96.2 percent, have mild symptoms and 592, or 3.3 percent, have no symptoms. Meanwhile, 73 patients or 0.4 percent are severe cases, while 17, or 0.1 percent, are in critical condition, the DOH record stated.
Among healthcare workers, the DOH said 25 more caught COVID-19, lifting the total of sick medical frontliners to 2,833. Some 1,031 nurses, 747 physicians, 184 nursing assistants, 112 medical technologists, 58 radiologic technologists and 368 workers from other professions were infected with the viral illness. Thirty three have also died while 1,664 have been cured, the agency added.
Record-high recoveries
The Philippine National Police also reported seven new infected personnel. There are now 395 police officers with COVID-19, including 237 who have recovered and five who have died.
