COVID-19 infections in Philippines hit 3,094, death toll at 144
MANILA, Philippines (Update 2, 5:57 p.m.) — The Department of Health on Saturday confirmed 76 more local cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the official tally to 3,094 from the previous count of 3,018.
The local COVID-19 death toll now stands at 144 after the Health department announced 8 new fatalities.
Five new recoveries were also announced, bringing the total count to 57.
Meanwhile, 1,349 have tested negative for the disease, while another 898 have pending results.
Based on the latest Health department data, at least 5,341 Filipinos have been tested for COVID-19.
Data scientists from the University of the Philippines project the virus will infect between 600,000 and 1.4 million individuals in the country, with 80% from Metro Manila.
The implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon entered its third week. But the national government has not yet reached a decision on whether to extend or lift the quarantine across Luzon and parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Saturday said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has already approved the guidelines which will be considered in the decision.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the national policy against COVID-19, announced Thursday evening that the government is planning to conduct a mass testing starting April 14.
In a press briefing Saturday, Healthy Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vegeire said that mass testing only applies to those at risk of COVID-19. They include symptomatic persons under investigation, persons under monitoring, vulnerable individuals like healthcare workers and those with underlying conditions.
The Health department also aims to test more than 3,000 people per day starting April 14, Vegeire added.
Since COVID-19 emerged late last year, around 1.1 million people have fallen ill. Almost 60,000 people have died. — with report from Gaea Katreena Cabico
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