Quezon records 11 new COVID-19-related deaths

LUCENA CITY – Eleven coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related deaths were recorded in Quezon province on Friday, authorities reported.

The latest fatality was a confirmed COVID-19 patient from Infanta town, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said in its 5 p.m. report.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the province is now 54, with 16 of them recorded from September 1 to 18 only.

Health authorities also recorded the death of 10 more persons classified as suspected COVID-19 patients.

The death toll among the unnamed “suspects” now rose to 116, from the 106 recorded on Thursday. Authorities gave no other details about the latest fatalities.

A person is considered “suspected” COVID-19 carrier if he or she suffers from fever, cough, or sore throat two weeks after contact with a confirmed case, or had visited a place with local transmission of the coronavirus, but has not gone through a confirmatory test or whose swab test is inconclusive, according to Department of Health protocols.

Those who exhibit the same symptoms and belong to the vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, those with preexisting ailments, pregnant women, and health-care workers also belong to this group.

Quezon still has 1,190 suspected virus carriers in different parts of the province.

At least 543 of them are confined in different medical and isolation facilities while 647 are undergoing home quarantine.

A total of 3,629 of the suspected carriers are already out of hospitals or have finished home quarantine.

JPV