Count of COVID-19 cases still low as lab testing disrupted by Odette – DOH

Facade of the DOH main office in Manila. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) in its latest case bulletin on Sunday continued to report “low” figures in its COVID-19 updates, as Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) affected the operations of 45 testing laboratories.

There were 203 new cases on Sunday’s bulletin, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 2,837,577.

“The low case report is due to the suspension of operations of four laboratories on Dec. 17 … and failure to submit data from 41 labs to the COVID-19 Document Repository System because of Typhoon Odette,” the department said.

There were 64 fatalities—two from this month and 62 from the period of April to November.

The DOH again attributed this late reporting to the “late encoding” in its COVIDKaya case collection system.

The latest fatalities brought the death toll to 50,739.

Active cases were at 9,729, the lowest since May 22 last year, of which 3,685 were mild, 485 were asymptomatic, 3,379 were moderate, 1,800 were severe, and 380 were critical.

The DOH said 0.8 percent, or 231 out of 28,823 people, tested on Friday were found positive. This is the lowest positivity rate so far.

Vaccination among inmates

Only 40 percent, or 19,678, out of 48,537 inmates in seven Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) facilities have so far been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the latest data submitted to the Department of Justice.

The BuCor said 51 percent, or 24,911 prisoners, have received their first dose. This left 3,948 prisoners, or 8 percent, who have not been vaccinated at all.

But Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco, who is in charge of the BuCor, said the National Task Force Against COVID-19 had delivered enough vaccines to prison facilities.

“Supposedly all PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) are already inoculated with at least one dose. The vaccines given to the BuCor should be able to cover PDLs nationwide,” Marco said.

At the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, 10,529 out of 28,516 prisoners are fully vaccinated while 17,000 others are partially vaccinated.

At the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, 3,294 out of 3,352 prisoners are fully vaccinated while six others are partially vaccinated.

Of the 2,344 prisoners at the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro province, 1,654 are fully vaccinated while 617 are partially vaccinated.

At the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, 713 are fully vaccinated while 1,003 are partially vaccinated among 2,304 prisoners.

Of the 2,729 prisoners at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan province, 1,705 are partially vaccinated while no inmate has so far completed two doses.

At the Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte, 848 have been given the two doses while 1,098 have been given at least one dose among 2,153 prisoners.

Of the 7,139 inmates at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao del Norte province, 2,640 are fully vaccinated while 3,482 are partially vaccinated.