THE Department of Health on Thursday reported 112 more patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), breaking the record-high of 101 cases reported three days earlier.
The continued increase in the number of recoveries, now totaling 1,618 cases, followed observations of health officials that the COVID-19 curb is flattening.
The country has 10,343 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, or an increase of 339. There were 27 new fatalities, or a total of 685.
The case fatality rate is at 6.6 percent,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
In a briefing, Vergeire said the high number of recoveries proves the disease is not a “death sentence.”
“It is not a guaranteed death sentence. Numbers will show that there is a higher chance that we will heal from this, that we will recover from this,” she said in a briefing.
“While we have several cases daily, it does not go up to levels like those in other countries,” she also said.
The disease, which emerged in China late last year, has infected almost 3.6 million persons and killed at least 247,650 persons in 215 countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization.
In the Western Pacific Region, the Philippines ranks fifth among countries with COVID-19 after China, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.
DISCOUNTS OB VITAMINS, SUPPLEMENTS FOR SENIORS
With the elderly sector considered among the high-risk population for COVID-19, the DOH said vitamins and mineral supplements are now among those covered by the 20 percent discount for senior citizens.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 2,499 or about 25% are 60 years and older. There were 452 senior citizens who have died, or 68 percent of the deaths.
DOH Administrative Order No. 2012-0007-A said the 20 percent discount and VAT exemption covers vitamins and mineral supplements which are prescribed by a physician for prevention and treatment of diseases, illness, or injury.
“This is definitely a good news to our senior citizens as they can already purchase vitamins and mineral supplements with a 20 percent discount,” said Vergeire.
The AO shall take effect 30 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
FILIPINOS OVERSEAS
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the number of Filipinos abroad infected with COVID-19 nears the 2,000-mark after 21 new cases were reported on Thursday.
The DFA also said among the 1,922 infected Filipinos in 46 countries, there were 34 new recoveries (total 557), mostly recorded from the Asia and the Pacific region.
It reported 7 new deaths, all in the Americas, bringing the number of overseas Filipinos who perished to the virus to 222.
”But the daily rate of recoveries at 6.5 percent remains higher than the daily rate of new confirmed cases and new deaths among our nationals,’ the DFA said.
The Americas remained as the region with the highest number of deaths with 128, followed by Europe with 73, the Middle East and Africa with 19, and Asia and the Pacific region with two.
Europe has the most cases of infected Filipinos, at 612, with 150 recoveries. America has 503 cases and 132 recoveries; Middle East and African regions 434 cases and recoveries; and Asia and the Pacific, 373 cases and 239 recoveries. — With Ashzel Hachero
