MANILA, Philippines — A total of 766 healthcare workers in the country are confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) announced Friday.
Of the number, 339 are doctors, while 242 are nurses, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
Meanwhile, 22 healthcare workers have succumbed to the disease.
As of April 17, there are 5,878 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country with 487 recoveries and 387 deaths.
“Taus puso kaming nakikiramay sa pamilya ng mga healthcare workers na naulila buhat ng COVID-19,” the Health official said in a virtual press briefing.
(We grieve with the families left behind by the healthcare workers lost to COVID-19.)
The DOH did not provide any detail if there are medical professionals who were able to beat the disease.
The healthcare workers are among the 5,878 individuals in the country that have been infected by the coronavirus as of April 17.
So far, 487 patients were able to recover from the disease but 387 succumbed to it.
READ: Coronavirus cases in PH now at 5,878; 52 more people recover
Healthcare workers are among the frontliners against the COVID-19 crisis in the country. There is a high risk for them in contracting the disease as they face and treat individuals afflicted with coronavirus.
To protect healthcare workers in the country, the DOH has procured one million sets of personal protective equipment (PPEs), about 27,000 of which have already arrived in the country.
READ: DOH says 12,000 more PPE sets arrived, up for distribution