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Friday, March 29, 2024

PH logs all-time high COVID tally at 26,303

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The country logged a new record-high of 26,303 COVID-19 cases yesterday, pushing active cases to 185,706.

Saturday’s tally surpassed the previous highest daily case count recorded Thursday at 22,820.

But according to the Department of Health, of the new cases, 1,608 should have been included in the September 10 data update.

The DOH said technical issues have “led to some delays in the inclusion of new data for cases, deaths and recoveries.”

Total recoveries climbed to 1,985,337 with 16,013 more patients who have recovered from the disease.

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Meanwhile, the government is set to begin inoculating the general public next month with the expected arrival of over 61 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Once the 61 million vaccine doses arrive, we can start the general population vaccination this coming October,” National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. told President Rodrigo Duterte during the latter’s Talk to the People aired Saturday morning.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, for his part, proposed an age cap among fully-vaccinated individuals who can avail of dine-in and personal care services once the guidelines for easing COVID-19 restrictions are firmed up.

“The middle ground for it to be safe is we allow only the vaccinated [to avail of dine in and personal care services currently prohibited under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine],” Lopez said.

He said seniors 65 years old and above should be disallowed.

“Even if you are vaccinated, if you are above 65 years old, it is still dangerous if you contract COVID-19. You can become a severe or critical case,” Lopez said.

In other developments:

• President Duterte appealed to the public to be more patient and understanding as the government decided to take a new approach in dealing with the pandemic. Duterte said the planned shift to localized lockdowns is seen as a more effective solution to stop the further transmission of the dreaded respiratory disease. “I ask for the general public’s continued understanding and patience on this matter,” he said. The proposed system is composed of Levels 1 to 4 and will be implemented on a weekly basis in each city or municipality. The new approach will do away with the current strategy of implementing city-wide or province-wide community quarantine throughout the country.

• A congressional leader urged the DOH to step up the search for possible alternatives to tocilizumab, an off-label drug used to treat COVID-19 patients. “The DOH needs to work double time in finding cost-effective alternatives to tocilizumab, which is currently out of supply in the market,” House Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said. “Time is of the essence. We cannot afford to lose more of our kababayans to COVID-19.”

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