Fifteen more people have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the country’s total recorded cases to 212.
According to a bulletin released by the Department of Health (DOH) last night, three more people have recovered, bringing the country’s total recorded recoveries to seven, while three others have died, bringing the total confirmed COVID-19 deaths to 17. As of this morning, the DOH has yet to release details about the 15 new infections.
The recovered patients include PH15, a 24-year-old man from Makati City who had recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates; PH26, a 34-year-old man from Camarines Sur who was one of the returnees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship; and PH13, a 34-year-old man from Quezon City who recently traveled to Australia. All patients were admitted to hospital between March 7 and 10, and have since tested negative twice before being discharged.
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Meanwhile, one of the Filipinos who succumbed to the disease was case PH201, a 58-year-old man from Lanao del Sur who recently traveled to Malaysia. The man had pre-existing diabetes before testing positive for the virus on March 17. He died yesterday morning.
Another fatality, PH57, was a 65-year-old man from Pasig City who recently traveled to London. He had hypertension and diabetes, was confirmed positive on March 13, and died of pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Syndrome on Tuesday night.
The third was PH160, an 86-year-old woman from San Juan City, with no recent travel outside the country. Prior to testing positive for the virus on March 16, the elderly woman had chronic kidney disease, hypertension, heart disease, and blocked arteries. She died on Monday of septic shock and pneumonia.
The Health Department, meanwhile, noted that it is choosing to keep confidential the identity of a senior DOH official who tested positive for the disease, as it has with the rest of the other infected patients.
The department also asked the public to “cooperate and practice personal preventive measures” to stop the spread of the disease, and clarified that only people who come within at least two meters of a COVID-19 case are considered close contacts who require monitoring.
“To actively protect your own health is to protect the health of the entire nation,” the agency said.
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