DOH reports 16 new COVID-19 cases, total now 49

March 11, 2020

  Sixteen new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) Wednesday, raising the Philippine total to 49.

In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Assistant Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said: '' The DOH and deployed surveillance teams are now conducting extensive information-gathering and contact tracing activities on the new cases." 

The DOH has yet to provide profiles of the 16 new cases. 

Vergeire said the number of critical cases has risen to three.

The other two critical patients are a 62-year-old Filipino male at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and an 86-year-old American male at the Medical City. 

''DOH is continuously monitoring the status of all patients to ensure that no complications arise throughout their recovery," said Vergeire. 

The DOH said it has sent off 442 of the 445 repatriates from the MV Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan after completing a 14-day quarantine period at the New Clark City (NCC) in Tarlac. 

They were made up of  437 crew members and 5 passengers after they all tested negative for COVID-19. 

Left at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital, a referral hospital of the DOH, are two crew members, who tested positive for COVID-19.

"Disinfection procedures for the rooms used by the two patients have been implemented," said Vergeire. DMS