MANILA, Feb 27 (NNN-PNA) – The Department of Health (DOH), reported today, 2,921 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase in over four months, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 574,247.
The DOH reported 3,139 daily cases on Oct 16, last year.
Today is also the third day in a row that the Philippines has been reporting a daily increase of over 2,000 cases.
The death toll climbed to 12,289, after 42 more patients died, the DOH said. Meanwhile, 293 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 524,865.
The Philippines, with a population of about 110 million, tested over eight million people, since the disease emerged in Jan, last year.
The Philippines is all geared up to receive the Sinovac vaccine, CoronaVac, donated by China, which are due to arrive tomorrow, Health Undersecretary, Maria Rosario Vergeire, said.
The government conducted simulation exercises to prepare for the arrival of the vaccines. The simulations were held to ensure a smooth turnover, distribution and transport of the vaccines, Vergeire, said.
She said that every single dose of the Sinovac vaccine is essential.
“These doses can lessen your chances of having severe infection by as much as 100 percent, and it can lessen your chances of being hospitalised and dying,” she added.
Unlike the other COVID-19 vaccines, she said, Sinovac only requires a two to eight degrees Celsius storage freezer, and almost all hospitals have that refrigeration system, to handle the Sinovac vaccine.
The Philippines has granted emergency use authorisation for Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine, the first to be rolled out in the country.
Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, and other officials will accept the Sinovac vaccines tomorrow afternoon, in a handover ceremony at a military base in the capital.
Meanwhile, Vergeire called for vigilance, as the virus clusters emerged in some areas in the country, including Metro Manila, in recent days. She blamed the spikes on easing of restrictions and non-compliance of minimum public health standards.
Vergeire called on local government units, to strengthen isolation and quarantine rules, amid reports of household infections due to home quarantines.
Metro Manila and nine other areas will remain under general community quarantine in Mar, presidential spokesperson, Harry Roque, said today.
Roque said, the rest of the country will be under the most relaxed community quarantine or modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Duterte rejected his economic managers’ proposal, to place the entire country under MGCQ starting Mar 1, to revive the pandemic-hit economy. Duterte said, he will put the country under MGCQ only after the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Meanwhile, Roque said, the inter-agency coronavirus task force has approved uniform domestic travel rules, by easing quarantine and documentary requirements for land, air and sea travellers.
Roque said, travellers still need to undergo swab tests under the new rules, if required by their destination’s local government unit.
However, the new rules do not require travellers to quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms upon arrival. Travellers are not required to secure a travel authority from the police, and certificates before the trip, the rules said.– NNN-PNA
