Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) — The Department of Health reported 205 new coronavirus cases on Monday, raising the country’s total to 12,718.
An additional 94 more have also recovered, bringing the total number of COVID-19 survivors to 2,729. Meanwhile, the DOH recorded seven new fatalities, for a total of 831 deaths.
Of the newly recorded infections nationwide, 145 or some 70 percent are in Metro Manila, which is now under a more relaxed modified enhanced community quarantine.
The provinces of Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales have also been placed under modified ECQ, wherein more businesses are allowed to reopen but mass transportation remains suspended.
A stricter ECQ is still being implemented in Cebu City and Mandaue City, while the rest of the country is under a general community quarantine. Under a GCQ, adults from age 22 to 59 can go out and public transport resumes subject to social distancing and other safety protocols.
Even with heightened fears of COVID-19 transmission now that relaxed quarantine rules are in place, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government still has no plans to carry out mass testing. He added that authorities will leave such efforts in the hands of private businesses.
Several officials have also warned against a possible “second wave” of COVID-19 due to the easing of restrictions, but some experts said they are not even sure if the country has gone past the first wave of infections.
READ: Is PH past the first wave of COVID-19 infections? Experts weigh in
On Sunday, the Department of Health said any sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases in the coming days may lead authorities to reimpose strict lockdown rules.
Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire also stressed that regardless of the classification an area falls into, the whole country is still under quarantine. With this, she reminded the public to continue practicing social distancing and other preventive measures against the virus.
To date, over 4.7 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19. Some 315,000 of these cases resulted in death, while over 1.7 million patients have already recovered.
For cases among Filipinos abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs recorded on Monday eight new coronavirus infections, two new recoveries, and two more deaths.
These updates bring the total numbers to 2,405 confirmed cases, 828 recoveries, and 279 deaths among Filipinos overseas. The DFA also noted that it is the second consecutive day where no new cases were registered in the Asia and the Pacific region.
Three of the new COVID-19 patients are healthcare workers, according to the DOH. This brings the total number of infected personnel to 2,314, while 32 more survived the illness for a total of 938.
No new fatalities among medical frontliners were logged in a week, as the death toll remains at 35.
Continuing to log the highest number of infected Filipinos are Europe with 728 cases and the Middle East with 689 infections. Some 543 cases have been recorded in the Americas, while 445 have been registered in the Asia Pacific.
