Philippines nears 1m mark in COVID-19 cases

MANILA: The Philippines on Sunday neared the one million mark in the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections based on new cases that hit 8,162 based on an official report from the Department of Health ( DOH).

According to the DOH, the new cases brought the national tally to a total of 997,523 that could easily breach the one million mark before the end of April as warned earlier by the independent OCTA research group.

Of the total, the DOH also noted the continuing significant rise in recoveries that totalled 903,665 from 30,509 new survivors.

It added that the death toll reached 16,783 from 109 new fatalities.

Earlier, the DOH cited current trends which tended to show that the number of COVID-19 infections would reach one million within one or two days.

It explained this was based on the daily tally of total number of confirmed cases that hit 989,380 as of Saturday due to the 9,661 new cases logged.

In the past two weeks data likewise showed an average of 7,000 to 11,000 new cases being recorded daily, the DOH said, adding that lately, however, the number went below the 10,000 mark.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire atributed this to a decline in COVID-19 infections due mainly to the imposition of stricter quarantine rules and more compliance by people of basic health protocols like the mandatory use of face masks and face shields, observance of social distancing and the ban on mass gatherings.

Vergeire said this was particularly true in Metro Manila which continued to be the epicenter of the pandemic as well as four neighboring provinces in Luzon where the government imposed the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) or lockdown with effect until April 30.

In a related development, Vergeire said that not all local government units like cities and towns could not be given their allocations from the Sputnik V vaccine doses from Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, which are to arrive shortly.

Vergeire explained the Sputnik V vaccines require stringent handling and storage requirements.

For instance, she said the vaccines require storage in a dark place and in temperatures of over minus 18°C.

“This storage cannot be found in all places of the country,” Vergeire pointed out.

“So when the Sputnik V vaccines arrive, there are local government units that are assigned to receive them because they have the capability for the kind of storage.”

On the other hand, Sinovac and Astrazeneca vaccines now being used in the inoculation campaign need to be kept only in 2-8°C storage facilities or similar refrigeration, according to Vergeire.