FOR the second day in a row, the number of new coronavirus infections in the country is back in the less than 1,500 level, with the Department of Health (DOH) reporting 1,438 new infections Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

Despite the relatively low number of new cases, the DOH intensified its campaign to enforce minimum public health standards in anticipation of the holiday rush.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III led a team Wednesday that started visiting popular areas of convergence and establishments to check compliance to the minimum public health standards.

The team’s first stop was the Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City on Wednesday.

In its case bulletin Wednesday, the DOH reported that the total coronavirus case count in the country has increased to 434,357, of which 26,916 were active cases.

There were 18 additional mortalities, raising the death toll from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) to 8,436. The case fatality rate was 1.94 percent.

The DOH also reported 232 new recoveries, bringing the total to 399,005 or 91.9 percent of the total case count.

With 142 new infections, Davao City again topped the list of cities and provinces with the highest number of new cases.

It was followed by Laguna (89), Quezon City (80), City of Manila (63) and Pampanga (58).

A total of 22,538 tests were conducted on December 1, of which 953 or 4.2 percent yielded positive results for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

In his visit to the Farmers Market, Duque distributed hygiene kits and emphasized to the vendors the need to adhere to minimum public health standards (MPHS) and observe safe food handling practices.

Duque demonstrated the proper wearing of face masks and face shields, physical distancing and correct hand washing technique.

“Our stall vendors are stewards of MPHS in their own stalls. As frontliners, they must not only ensure the cleanliness and safety of their products, but of their suking (regular) customers as well,” Duque said in a statement.

He was accompanied by DOH Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan, Metro Manila Center for Health Development officer in charge Corazon Flores and celebrity chef Margarita Fores. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)