Some 104 healthcare workers have succumbed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
Based on the latest situational report of DOH, a total 24,284 healthcare workers have tested positive for the illness as of September 13.
Of this, a total 23,814 have recovered and 366 are still undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, 221 of the active cases are experiencing mild symptoms, 95 are asymptomatic, 21 are in severe condition, 20 are in moderate condition, and nine are critical.
Healthcare workers have recently staged protest actions over delayed special risk allowances amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to this, the Department of Budget and Management said it had released an additional P888.12 million to fund the SRA.
Earlier this week, an infectious disease expert called for COVID-19 booster shots for healthcare workers, saying the vaccines they were given at the start of the pandemic could become less effective over time.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, a member of the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP), said this could be seen on the ground, with health workers catching COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.
Although most of these cases were mild, Solante said losing these health workers for 14 quarantine days would hurt the fight against COVID-19.
He said the VEP has already submitted its recommendation to the All Experts Group of the Department of Health.
He added that the VEP was considering recommending that those inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine be prioritized for booster shots.
