Around the middle of March of
this year, the world began hunkering down as countries everywhere faced the
ballooning onslaught of the 2019 novel coronavirus / COVID-19 global pandemic.
The Philippines joined these strong precautionary measures by placing
communities under quarantine. While initially restrictive, levels of community
quarantine began easing up significantly in the country since last month, except
for particular communities with the largest concentration of confirmed
COVID-positive cases. The National Capital Region and Cebu City have seen
repeated localized barangay lockdowns, with the latter still remaining under Enhanced
Community Quarantine (ECQ) status. But the relaxation of quarantine protocols
has also seen the largest uptick of COVID-19 cases yet.
CNN Philippines reports that last Sunday, July 5, the country recorded
its biggest figure of newly-confirmed cases of COVID-19 thus far. This was after
only mere days following the last high figure. According to the Department of
Health (DOH), their tracking of new COVID infections ran up to 2,434 new cases
at the start of the week, which trump the previous one-day record of 1,531 new
cases posted only last July 3. The arrival of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the
DOH registers has been so frantic that no less than 10 duplicate reports were
found and removed from the figures.
The distribution of this
humongous amount of new and recently-infected COVID-19 patients in the
Philippines is as follows: 1,147 “fresh” cases (logged within three days) and
1,297 “late” cases (validation of infection done after more than three days).
Furthermore, of these new confirmed infections the NCR lays claim to 1,069 of
them, while 602 are from Central Visayas (including ECQ-locked Cebut City), 756
everywhere else in the country, and 7 more from balikbayan OFWs. The total number of 2,434 now bumps the overall
COVID-19 infection in the Philippines to 44,254.
If there is some good news
however, it is that his new record high of added COVID cases in the Philippines
is tempered by a new record in terms of reported recoveries from the dread
pandemic virus. Some 489 cases have been logged as cured as of July 5, joining
the 1,297 in total number of survivors. Only 29,087 cases are considered “active”
infections. And the trend of COVID severity being predominantly mild remains;
only 01.% infected are in critical condition, followed by 0.5% severe cases and
5.1% asymptomatic. A majority or 94.3% Philippine COVID-19 cases exhibit mild
symptoms. The increased testing capacity for the coronavirus has also be a factor
in the increased numbers.
Sobering the news of COVID
recoveries in the country are the latest additions to the death toll of the
disease. Seven more COVID-19 patients died last Sunday, adding to the total
casualty count of 1,297.
Image courtesy of Reuters
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