MANILA, Aug 3 (NNN-XINHUA) – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 103,185, after the Department of Health (DOH) reported a record-high 5,032 new cases on Sunday, making a record daily increase for the fourth consecutive day.
The DOH reported 3,954 new cases on Thursday, 4,063 on Friday and 4,963 on Saturday, and the number of recoveries further rose to 65,557, after it reported 301 patients who have recovered from the disease.
The death toll also increased to 2,059 after 20 more patients succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH said.
Metro Manila topped the five regions or provinces with the highest number of daily confirmed cases reported yesterday, with 2,737 cases.
The Philippines is currently assessing its “overall game plan” in the fight against the pandemic, after the medical community sounded “a distressed signal” on Saturday, saying, the country needs a “time out” to “re-calibrate the government’s COVID-19 strategies.”
“Our healthcare system is overwhelmed. The medical community appeals for return to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Mega Manila, from Aug 1 to 15, to re-calibrate strategies against COVID-19,” according to a joint letter read by Philippine Medical Association President, Jose Santiago.
Mega Manila consists of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon region.
Santiago read the letter, addressed to Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, on behalf of the Philippine College of Physicians and more than 80 other medical groups. The groups urged Duterte to impose the strictest lock-down measures in these regions.
Duterte put Metro Manila under general community quarantine until Aug 15, while other areas are put under varying degrees of quarantine.
Santiago said, the 15-day ECQ will serve as a “time out” to “re-calibrate the government’s COVID-19 strategies.”
The groups said, the ECQ is needed as healthcare front-liners “cannot hold the line for much longer.”
Health Secretary, Francisco Duque, said that, the government “will revisit and include the inputs we have gathered in our overall game plan,” referring to the issues raised by the medical workers.
“We support the call of our front-liners to ensure a science-based approach and stricter implementation of community quarantine measures,” Duque further said.
As of July 31, the DOH said, at least 4,938 health care workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Of these, 38 have died and 4,544 have recovered.– NNN-XINHUA
