Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 9) — The Department of Health said four areas are recording an increase in new COVID-19 cases despite the downtrend in the country’s daily tally.
Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said they have monitored spikes of coronavirus infections — by as much as a 200% increase — in Sarangani, Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, and Dinagat Islands.
After DOH talked to local government officials, Ormoc City said they found a transmission cluster in their healthcare workers. Eastern Samar cited increased testing capacity, while Dinagat Islands said they saw a rise in cases after they opened the port to people coming from Surigao. Vergeire, however, said DOH officers have to validate if these are the causes of the spike in these areas.
Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez said they are tightening their border control in a bid to reverse the rising trend of cases in the city. To date, Ormoc City has 28 active COVID-19 cases or currently ill patients, based on data from its local government.
Last week, DOH reported the Philippines saw its overall number of new cases drop by 25 percent in October. The country’s COVID-19 cases on Monday climbed to 398,449 with 2,058 new infections. The death toll jumped to 7,647 with 108 new fatalities, while the total recoveries reached 361,784 with 182 new survivors.
