COVID-19 cases in the country rise to 2,084 with the addition of 538 new cases; deaths climb to 88

Biggest single-day jump for COVID-19 cases in PHL so far

Courtesy DOH

 

(Eagle News) – Coronavirus cases continued to rise in the country with the expanded COVID-19 testing as total cases reached 2,084, with the addition of 538 new cases – the biggest single-day jump in cases so far, the Department of Health said.

The latest data as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, also included seven new recoveries in the country. This brings to 49 the total patient recoveries in the country.

Ten new COVID-19 related deaths were also added on Tuesday, bringing to total coronavirus fatalities to 88, said Health Undersecretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire, the DOH spokesperson.

The 538 new cases were only identified as patients 1547 to 2084.

“Nadagdagan po ng 538 ang ating COVID-19 positive patients,” Vergeire said.

“The total number of cases in the country is now at 2,084.”

Vergeire said that the public should follow guidelines issued by the government to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

This includes proper handwashing, observing proper cough etiquette and social or physical distancing, and staying home for those who are not involved in the frontlines in the war against COVID-19.

The sudden increase in COVID-19 positive cases was due to the increasing number of laboratories which are able to test for COVID-19, aside from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) which can  now release up to 1,000 test results per day.

Vergeire also said that they have already changed the policy and algorithm for those who can be included in the tests. Now, even health care workers are among those considered in the vulnerable sector. They will be included among those who should be tested for COVID-19.

Even those with mild symptoms should be tested, Vergeire stressed, as she appealed for all health care facilities to include in the testing the health care workers who are exhibiting symptoms.

Kasama na po sila ngayon sa ating protocol,” Vergeire said.

Pangalagaan po natin ang ating health care workers,” she added.

The DOH also said that it had already conducted 15,337 COVID-19 tests.

Of this number, 2,388 were positive but this already included more than 300 repeat tests.

Vergeire said that 11,129 had negative test results, while 1,829 are considered “equivocal” meaning that these could not be considered positive or negative.

Vergeire said that there are still some 85,000 test kits available for the public to use.

She said that last week, RITM was the only health facility which could release test results, but now there are five sub-national laboratories which had been certified for COVID-19 testing apart from three other laboratories, namely the UP National Institute of Health, the Western Visayas Medical Center, and the Bicol Public Health Laboratory.

(Eagle News Service)