PH Covid-19 active cases now 29,814 with 1,184 new infections

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s active cases of Covid-19 climbed to 29,814 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Wednesday 1,184 fresh cases of infection.

This brings the current total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 553,424.

The DOH also reported 271 new recoveries, bringing the number of patients who have recovered from the illness to 512,033.

There were also 53 new fatalities, which puts the death toll to 11,577.

According to DOH, active cases compose 5.4 percent of the count, while recoveries and deaths are 92.5 and 2.09 percent of the caseload.

Of the active cases, 85.4 percent are mild, 8.5 are asymptomatic, 2.6 are critical, 2.6 are severe, and 0.83 are moderate cases.

Four duplicates, which are all recoveries, have been removed from the total case count.

Further, two cases were later found to have tested negative and have been removed from the total case count, while 30 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were likewise reclassified as deaths after final validation.

On hospital capacity, the DOH said 62 percent of intensive care use unit beds, 66 percent of isolation beds, and 77 percent of ward beds for Covid-19 patients are still available.

Dr. Alethea De Guzman, a medical specialist at the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau, said on Tuesday that the national growth rate of Covid-19 cases is still showing a decrease, with initial signs of a plateauing trend from the increase in mid-January.

However, she said that Central Visayas and Caraga have shown an increasing rate of coronavirus infections.

Metro Manila has a negative growth rate, according to de Guzman, but she said eight cities, particularly Valenzuela, Pasay, Malabon, Pasig, Makati, Navotas, Las Piñas, and Manila, have shown an increase in reported cases.

De Guzman also said the healthcare utilization is at the safe zone for all regions, but stressed the need to sustain or increase the healthcare capacity.

With the decreasing national growth rate of Covid-19, Malacañang earlier expressed support to the recommendation on placing the entire country under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine as it emphasized the need to address hunger and poverty.

JPV