CASES of coronavirus infections continue to increase at a steady rate as the Department of Health (DOH) announced Thursday, May 14, an additional 258 cases that brought the total count to 11,876.

Eighteen additional patients had died, raising the death toll to 790 as of 4 p.m. Thursday, the DOH said.

Some 86 patients were reported in the last 24 hours to have recovered, bringing the total number of survivors to 2,337.

Of the new cases, the DOH said 188 are from the National Capital Region, 16 from Central Visayas or Region 7, and 54 from the rest of the country.

The highest number of cases logged daily come from the NCR or Metro Manila and Central Visayas, to which Cebu City belongs.

Both NCR and Cebu, along with Laguna, are listed as areas with high risk of infection. These areas will be under modified enhanced community quarantine after the lapse of the ECQ on May 15.

In a Laging Handa briefing aired Thursday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stressed the need to comply with minimum health standards as quarantine restrictions are relaxed by May 16.

These include frequent washing of hands, social or physical distancing, and wearing of face masks.

“Ang pangunahing magiging strategy po na gusto nating ipatupad sa ating mga communities pagdating po ng transition natin ay ang pagpapatupad ng minimum health standards po sa lahat,” Vergeire said.

“Nandiyan na po ‘yung maging malakas yung katawan ng bawat paghuhugas ng kamay, at pagbabawas ng physical contact, and kailangang ma-trace agad kung sino ang taong may sintomas para ma-isoate po sila para ‘di na makahawa pa sa iba,” she added. (JTM/SunStar Philippines)