COVID-19 cases top 100,000; 2,059 dead
THE Department of Health (DoH) reported the highest daily increase of 5,032 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 103,185.
The death toll rose to 2,059 after 20 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 301 to 65,557, it said in a bulletin.
DoH said 2,114 of the new cases were reported in the past three days, while 2,918 were reported late.
Of the new cases, 2,737 came from Metro Manila, 463 from Cavite, 449 from Cebu, 326 from Laguna and 201 from Rizal.
There were 35,569 active cases, 90% of which were mild, 8.2% did not show symptoms, 1% were severe, and 0.7% were critical, the agency said. More than 1.4 million people have been tested for the disease, it added.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte kept Metro Manila under a general community quarantine on Friday. Other areas under the general lockdown were Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla, Consolacion and Zamboanga City.
Researchers from the University of the Philippines earlier said COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) infections could reach 150,000 by the end of the month if the government fails to take steps to contain the pandemic particularly in Metro Manila.
The experts recommended random testing in villages to identify hotspots, as well as a thorough analysis of community transmissions to detect infection sources.
About 4,000 deaths due to COVID-19 might not have been included in the government’s official tally as many patients died of the virus without being tested, according to Tony Leachon, a former adviser of the government task force against the coronavirus.
“The deaths are underreported,” he told ABS-CBN News Teleradyo on Sunday. He said many poor patients only go to the hospital when they have become severely ill. These people end up dying there and do not become part of the tally, he added.
Mr. Leachon said the Philippines has one of highest infection rates in Southeast Asia and has the most number of active coronavirus cases.
The death toll could double to 4,000 by the end of the month, he said, citing a projection by the UP researchers. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
