MORE than 4,000 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases was reported by the Department of Health yesterday, with majority (2,590) coming from the National Capital Region, and 88 more deaths.
In its latest bulletin, the DOH said of the 4,339 new cases, 223 came from Laguna, Cavite had 155, Cebu 128, and Rizal 109. Overall, the confirmed infections rose to 178,022, the most in Southeast Asia.
The total number of fatalities jumped to 2,883, the second highest death toll in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia. Majority of the new deaths were recorded in Central Visayas with 42.
Other deaths were reported from NCR (34), Western Visayas (5), Calabarzon (4), Ilocos Region (1), Zamboanga Peninsula (1), and CAR (1).
The DOH said there were 727 new recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 114,114.
Globally, as of August 19, there were 21,989,366 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 775,893 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Fourteen more overseas Filipinos have been added to the growing list of those infected with COVID-19, bringing the overall total to the 10,000 mark.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the number of overseas Filipinos infected with the virus has reached 9,973 in 72 countries. The number could be higher since the DFA said it has only received reports Thursday from the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East regions.
No new report of fatality was also reported while one recovery was logged in, bringing the number to 5,869.
Another policeman has died of COVID-19, bringing to 14 the number of lawmen who perished from the deadly virus. The latest fatality was a male police non-commissioned officer assigned with the PNP Aviation Security Group.
Citing a belated report, the PNP said the 45-year-old policeman died last August 12. The PNP also reported 63 fresh COVID-19 cases among police personnel, increasing the total tally to 3,098 as of Wednesday night.
Thirty-six of the newly-infected policemen are assigned with the National Capital Region Police Office and two are assigned at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Out of the total 3,098 COVID-19 cases in the PNP, 2,258 have recovered.
STUDY DISPUTED
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire disputed a recent study claiming that an estimated three million Filipinos may have been infected with COVID-19 but were unreported, claiming it is neither right nor accurate to compare the situation and capability of the Philippines with other countries handling the pandemic.
Vergeire, however, said experts and epidemiologists from the DOH are reviewing the study, “An Empirical Argument for Mass Testing: Crude Estimates of Unreported COVID19 Cases in the Philippines vis-í -vis Others in the ASEAN-5,” done by the Ateneo De Manila University Department of Economics.
She said the DOH welcomed such studies and estimations as the government could always learn something that could contribute to the decisions and programs of the DOH.
“So we have referred it to our experts and also to our epidemiologists and they are now studying it. But if you look at it, they compared different countries …We should always remember that comparing countries with different health system capacities and different types of health systems is not really appropriate,” she said in mixed Filipino and English.
She said Thailand, for instance, has a prime health care system that boasts not just of big hospitals for its citizens but also has a growing medical tourism industry while Singapore, despite being a small country in terms of population, has an advanced and complete health care system and medical services.
He said the Philippines, despite its current health care capacity, is decentralized and has different levels of health and hospital systems across the country.
Jan Frederick Cruz of ADMU-Department of Economics said their study tried to determine the “real” number of COVID-19 cases using the number of confirmed infections and fatalities in the United States, South Korea, Japan, China, France, and Italy and compared it to five countries in the Southeast Asian region, namely, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Cruz said their analysis revealed that 96 percent to 99 percent of COVID-19 cases in the five Southeast Asian countries may have been undetected from April to June 2020. He added this means that roughly 2.6 percent or about three million Filipinos may have been infected.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said regardless of the study, everyone should comply with the minimum health protocols like wearing masks and face shields, washing of hands and observing social distancing. — With Ashzel Hachero, Victor Reyes and Jocelyn Montemayor
