THE Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, April 7, recorded 104 more confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 14 additional deaths over the last 24 hours.
As of 4 p.m., April 7, the total number of persons who have been found positive for the novel coronavirus or Sars-CoV-2 has gone up to 3,764.
The death toll increased to 177 while the number of patients who have recovered from the disease also went up to 84.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles earlier Tuesday warned that the pandemic peak of Covid-19 may occur only after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) over Luzon is lifted.
Most of the cases are in Luzon, the biggest island in the county where about half of the Philippines’ 105 million population resides.
“Kapag sinabi mo kasing peak, ‘pag ni-lift mo ang ECQ, sisipa ‘yan. Kasi gagalaw na lahat eh, kapag gumalaw lahat, kakalat ‘yan,” Nograles said.
“So ano ang dapat gawin natin? Taasan ang testing capacity natin,” he said.
As of April 6, 10 health facilities in the country led by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine are already capable of conducting diagnostic tests for the Sars-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes Covid-19.
The RITM is capable of conducting around 900 tests daily while seven others can do up to 850 tests a day.
The DOH did not specify the estimated daily testing capability of the two newly accredited facilities, Bicol Public Health Laboratory and St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City.
Globally, Covid-19 has killed 67,594 people as of April 6, the World Health Organization reported. A total of 1.21 million people in over 200 countries have been infected. (Jove T. Moya/SunStar Philippines)