THE
PHILIPPINES has registered over 1,000 cases of coronavirus disease, of
Covid-19, and the number is still rising by the day with no signs of slowing
down despite the enhanced community quarantine imposed by the government across
the country.
The Department of Health said there
are over 1,400 Covid-19 cases now with at least 68 deaths.
The virus is
now a global pandemic after it broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in
December last year, and quickly spread to over 100 countries with China
recording over 80,000 infections and more than 3,000 deaths.
Presidential
Spokesman Salvador Panelo strongly denied the government’s quarantine efforts
are ineffective. “We beg to disagree. As we have previously stated, the reason
for a few reported cases of confirmed cases two weeks ago was because there was
a lack of testing kits to ascertain the number of those afflicted with the
disease.
“As the
manufacture and supply of testing kits become available, plus the establishment
of additional Covid-19 testing centers, there are more people being tested now
than before, necessarily the hitherto unknown cases of Covid-19 have surfaced
hence the galloping increase in number,” he said.
Panelo said had
the enhanced community quarantine or partial lockdown not been imposed, the
number of coronavirus cases could have been staggering, for the simple reason
that with unrestricted movement of the population, with each individual being a
potential carrier, the coronavirus would have an untrammeled leap-frogging
from one person to another.
At least 10
doctors were among those who died from the disease with hundreds more medical
frontliners across the country now under self-quarantine. Many healthcare
workers complained of lack of personal protective equipment.
Panelo said
the government is doing everything to contain, if not permanently halt the
spread of virus.
He said the
once inadequate supply of personal protective equipment that cost the lives doctors
and placed others in critical condition have been addressed at, as donations of
personal protective equipment - surgical masks, head gears, face shields,
goggles, gloves, protective gowns and foot covers - from many sources have
poured in even as their local production is in full swing from our garments
manufacturers and local fashion designers.
Medical
supplies, alcohol, soap and other health items are coming in too from various
donors, individuals and private entities, he added.
“The Bayanihan
spirit has caught fire and everyone is chipping in a united front against this
unseen deadly enemy,” Panelo said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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