The rising number of coronavirus 2019 cases in Capiz has cancelled twice the ceremony where Capiz Cardinal Jose Advincula, the new Archbishop of Manila, was to receive the biretta or “red hat,” an official statement released to media this weekend said.
Advincula said: “I still have to talk about when and where the bestowal of the insignia be with the Nuncio who is now in Tarlac. I was able to inform Msgr. (Julien) Kabore about the cancelation.”
The ceremony was moved to June 24, which happens to be the same date of the prelate’s scheduled installation as the new Archbishop of Manila at the Manila Cathedral.
Meanwhile, the local government unit of General Santos City reported that the occupancy rate of its COVID-19 referral hospitals rose to 96 percent, while the occupancy rate of intensive care unit (ICU) beds was already at 100 percent.
The LGU data was as of Friday, June 4, according to a News TV Live report on Saturday.
In the Bicol region, the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City announced on Saturday that its Intensive Care Unit and isolation wards for patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 were now “under full capacity.”
In a statement, BMC spokesperson Mylce Mella said, for this reason, they were advising the public that effective Saturday and until it would be lifted, the hospital would limit its admission to COVID-19 patients with only severe and critical conditions.
The BMC has allocated 140 beds for COVID-19 patients, 25 of which are in the ICU and the rest in isolation wards.
The “red hat” ceremony was supposed to take place on May 28 but was moved to June 8 since the archbishop presiding over the ceremony had to undergo a 14-day quarantine after arriving from New York.
At present, the Capiz Provincial Health Office has reported over 3,000 COVID-19 cases, with 21,000 already inoculated, including Advincula.
Meanwhile, the Philippines logged on Saturday 6,955 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total to 1,262,273, as two laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health reported.
This marks the 11th day where more than 5,000 cases were reported.
Based on data in the last 14 days, the two non-reporting labs contribute, on average, 0.17 percent of samples tested and 0.21 percent of positive individuals
The DOH reported 195 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 21,732.
The DOH also reported that 8,109 newly-recovered people, bringing the total recoveries to 1,180,998.
Active cases were logged at 59,543. Of the number, 93.5 percent were mild, 2.4 percent were asymptomatic, 1.3 percent were critical, 1.7 percent were severe, and 1.16 percent were moderate.
The DOH also reported that nationwide, 58 percent of the ICU beds, 48 percent of the isolation beds, 49 percent of the ward beds, and 39 percent of the ventilators, were in use.
General Santos City was placed under general community quarantine up to June 30.
The Bicol region has two other COVID19 referral hospitals – the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City and the Bicol Region General Hospital Geriatric Medical Center in Cabusao, Camarines Sur.
As of June 3, reports said in the BRTTH, 49 or 64 percent of 76 beds in isolation wards for COVID-19 patients were available, while 16 or 89 percent of the 18 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients were occupied.
In Manila, the Bureau of Immigration announced that aliens holding the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa issued by the Philippine Retirement
Authority were now allowed to enter the country.
In an advisory, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said following the most recent Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, upon recommendation of the Department of Tourism, those holding SRRVs are now allowed to enter the country without an entry exemption document.
Morente said those holding tourist visas were still not permitted to enter the country unless authorized by the country’s foreign posts abroad through an entry exemption document.
BI Port Operations Division Chief Carlos Capulong also said all arriving passengers were still required to present their 10-day quarantine hotel or facility booking, except for those who have been fully vaccinated in the Philippines, who would only need to present a seven-day booking.
Capulong clarified that those coming from the seven travel-restricted countries– India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates – were still not allowed to enter until June.