Active COVID-19 cases soar to 200,000
MANILA: Infections arising from the unabated surge in the COVID-19 pandemic soared and breached the 200,000 mark for the first time in the Philippines, according to the Department of Health ( DOH).
In its report, the DOH said the active cases, meaning patients who remain sick, hit a total of 203,710, considered a record high in the country’s campaign to contain the spread of the virus which continued to wreak havoc on the lives of people and the economy.
The DOH pointed out most of the active cases reported came from Metro Manila acknowledged as the epicentre of the pandemic which prompted the government to impose modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) or lockdown and four neighboring provinces.
Of the active cases, majority or 96 percent are mild, 2.9 per cent asymptomatic (or showing no symptoms), 0.4 pe rcent critical, 0.5 per cent severe and 0.29 per cent moderate, according to the DOH.
The rise in active cases arose followed a DOH report that a total of 11,101 infections occurred on Saturday, bringing the national tally to 926,052.
If let uncontrolled, the independent OCTA research group earlier warned the infections could reach one million by the end of April.
The DOH added that 759 new survivors brought the total of recoveries to a high of 706,532 while the death toll hit a total of 15,810 from 72 new fatalities.
In a related development, the Philippine National Police ( PNP) reported that two more officers, including one-star general, succumbed to the virus, bringing the death toll to 51 since the start of the pandemic last year.
Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, the PNP deputy chief for administration, revealed that one of the latest fatalities was a 55-year-old one star general who was about to retire while the other was a policemen assigned to Southern Luzon.
Eleazar refused to name the general, citing privacy as requested by his family. Nevertheless, he disclosed the officer went on “non-duty status” preparatory to his retirement on May 7.
But before he could retire, the officer was found positive for COVID-19 and was brought to a Metro Manila hospital where he died on April 13, according Eleazar.
Another PNP source who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the death of the general who served as the head of a “key unit” at the Metro Manila regional police command.