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Philippines’ COVID-19 death toll breaches 200 as cases soar to 4,076
By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA NewsThe Philippines’ death toll from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rose to 203 on Thursday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 21 more deaths.
The total number of infections nationwide also soared to 4,076 after the department confirmed 206 new cases.
Twenty-eight more patients have also recovered from the respiratory illness, the highest recorded so far, bringing the total number of recoveries to 124.
This marks the second day in a row that more recoveries were reported than deaths.
On Wednesday, the DOH reported 12 new recoveries and only five deaths.
Still, health authorities said that it is too early to assess the effects of the Luzon-wide quarantine on COVID-19 cases.
“Ayon po sa mga experts… mid-April pa talaga natin malalaman kung nagkaroon ng epekto ang [quarantine], nag-peak or nag-slow down ba ang mga kaso, at iba pang mahahalagang impormasyon,” Dr. Beverly Ho explained.
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Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, meanwhile, said the Philippines has one of the lowest rates of infection globally thanks to the quarantine and Malacañang’s order to temporarily deny entry to travelers from China and its Special Administrative Regions.
The statement was made despite an earlier admission of the DOH that COVID-19 cases in the country may be underreported due to the limited testing capacity.
Since then, the government has moved to ramp up testing capacity by certifying more laboratories to conduct independent testing nationwide.
Eleven health facilities have so far been accredited to process samples for COVID-19, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
The DOH said it was eyeing a testing capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 samples per day by the end of the month. —LDF/NB, GMA News