COVID-19 cases in PH surpass 11,000; recoveries near 2,000

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MANILA, Philippines — The number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country breached the 11,000th mark on Monday, while the total recoveries near 2,000.

The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 292 new cases, bringing the total to 11,086. Meanwhile, 75 new patients were able to beat the disease, raising the total of recoveries to 1,999.

Unfortunately, seven more people succumbed to COVID-19, bringing the country’s COVID-related death toll to 726.

More than half of 56% of the new confirmed cases were recorded in Metro Manila, while 25% were located in Central Visayas, according to DOH.

The enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed over Metro Manila and other areas are set to lapse after May 15, but authorities are yet to decide whether it will be extended or some areas will be placed under general community quarantine.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Infectious Diseases (IATF) is set to meet on Monday to discuss and recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte whether the ECQ will be extended or not.

The ECQ, which was imposed starting March 17, aimed to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic and allow the health system to catch up with the impact of the disease.

The DOH earlier urged the public to embrace a “new normal” where physical distancing, wearing of face masks on public, and frequent hand-washing is still practiced as long as there is no available vaccine or cure for COVID-19.

Over 4.1 million people across the globe have so far been infected with the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, killing over 280,000. About 1.4 million people, meanwhile, were able to recover from the disease.

JPV