COVID-19 PANDEMIC Day 140: ASIA & PACIFIC -Three new relapse cases, no new infections

No new cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday, but three more recovered patients were found to have tested positive for a second time, bringing the current total of recurring cases to 11.

 

 

ASIA & PACIFIC

 Three new relapse cases, no new infections

No new cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday, but three more recovered patients were found to have tested positive for a second time, bringing the current total of recurring cases to 11.
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MANILA, Philippines-BREAKING: COVID-19 cases in PH reach 5,223

MANILA, Philippines — There are now over 5,000 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 291 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total cases to 5,223 as of 4 p.m. of April 14.

The disease has also claimed the life of 20 more individuals, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 335.

The DOH also recorded 53 new recoveries, raising the total of patients beating COVID-19 to 295.

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COVID-19 CASES BREAKDOWN (PH)
(as of April 14, 2020 – 4:00 PM)
CONFIRMED CASES: 5,223
RECOVERED: 295
DEATHS: 335

RELATED STORY:

Highest recoveries in a day set at 53.Highest recoveries in a day set at 53

 TESTING BEGINS. Residents of Manila line up to be swabbed by medical workers at a mass testing center near city hall on Tuesday. JR Josue
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With mass testing for the novel coronavirus starting Tuesday, the Department of Health announced the highest number of new recoveries from COVID-19 for one day at 53, which resulted in a total of 295 recoveries as of April

Highest recoveries in a day set at 53
TESTING BEGINS. Residents of Manila line up to be swabbed by medical workers at a mass testing center near city hall on Tuesday. JR Josue

The new confirmed cases of 291 brought total coronavirus cases in the Philippines to 5,223. The DOH has yet to announce the first batch of data from those undergoing the mass testing at 10 approved centers across the country.As 20 more patients lost their battle to COVID-19, the death toll from the disease climbed to 335.This developed as President Rodrigo Duterte, to enable the government to conduct more COVID-19 tests, has approved the purchase of rapid test kits, polymerase chain reaction machines and consumables, automatic extracting machines, and biomedical freezers.Inter-Agency Task Force spokesman Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that while the DOH cannot directly procure the rapid test kits due to the absence of approval from the Health Technology Assessment Council, the government could bypass the restrictions by ordering the Office of Civil Defense to make the purchase.“I’m clearing the way. I will ask Secretary Francisco Duque to talk to the people in charge, Secretary Carlito Galvez. And they can proceed to buy it immediately,”  President Duterte said in a late Monday night meeting.The IATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease said that the laboratory-based PCR will remain the “gold standard” of testing.National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government will need to purchase 900,000 polymerase chain reaction-based kits to confirm the validity of results obtained from the use of rapid test kits.Galvez said PCR-based kits are expected to cost around P3.2 billion as the government is eyeing to buy two-million rapid test kits.The DOH earlier said it does not recommend the use of rapid test kits because they can produce false positives and false negatives.Rapid test kits can only detect the antibodies produced by the body to combat the disease and are prone to false negatives or false positives even if these can produce results faster than PCR-based kits, he said.Galvez said the DOH needs to test about 15,000 people for possible coronavirus infection.He noted that of the 15,000 potential COVID-19 “suspects,” about 5,000 to 8,000 are in Metro Manila.

The Health department defines a COVID-19 “suspect” as someone who has symptoms of the respiratory disease and travel or residence in a hotspot of the disease or exposure to a confirmed or probable carrier.The country has 102,000 test kits and the government plans to buy some one million more units, Galvez said.Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay yesterday said the IATF should immediately address the lack of clear protocol in handling COVID-related fatalities, including cadaver management, storage, cremation and assistance to families.She said the families of those who died from COVID-19 are having a hard time securing death certificates because some LGUs and barangay officials do not know what the protocols are if a patient dies inside his or her home, and how to properly handle the bodies which can no longer be accommodated in mortuary freezers and crematoriums.The senator said because of the lack of clear guidelines from IATF, she has received reports that some private crematoriums are asking for P100,000 for the cremation of COVID-positive remains..Under the DSWD Revised Guidelines on AICS for burial assistance, the department will shoulder part of the funeral cost and the family can receive up to P10,000 assistance even if they do not submit a case study report.As of 2020, there are only 60 crematoriums operating nationwide, 90 percent of which are privately-owned, and 25 out of 60 are in Metro Manila. Only six are publicly-owned (Manila, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Dasmariñas City, and Antipolo City) and are mostly operated by the local government—but of the six, only five are operational and can only accommodate three to five cadavers a day.Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, emphasize the key role of local government units in the fight against COVID-19, saying they should follow the test, quarantine and treatment approach.He said LGUs should have more autonomy in procuring testing kits or setting up testing facilities to speed up detection of COVID-19 positive cases from every household living on every street within every barangay.This is what is being done in Valenzuela City, which has started local mass testing in cooperation with The Medical City, he said. In its agreement with the hospital, the TMC processes the tests and reserves 25 tests per day for Valenzuela City but that can be expanded to 50 depending on the workload.Based on the results, authorities will identify persons that need to be quarantined or isolated.“In Valenzuela, first to be tested are the sick and their household, their companions in the house, their relatives and even their neighbors,” he said./  by Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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SINGAPORE- 334 new coronavirus cases in Singapore, bringing total to 3,252

Of the new cases, 198 are linked to known clusters. The vast majority are work permit holders in dormitories.
Of the new cases, 198 are linked to known clusters. The vast majority are work permit holders in dormitories.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

SINGAPORE – Singapore reported 334 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday (April 14), bringing the total number of cases to 3,252 since the start of the outbreak.

Of the new cases, 198 are linked to known clusters, 22 are linked to other local cases, and 114 are as yet unlinked.

None was imported, said the Health Ministry’s director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, at a press conference on Tuesday (April 14).

Commenting on the unlinked cases, Prof Mak said they did not necessarily mean that there is an unknown source of transmission and, as a result, community spread.

Some of the numbers are from active testing done in different settings – not just in larger purpose-built dormitories, but also other smaller ones, and it takes time to compile and match the figures, he said.

“So, in fact, out of the proportion that are as yet unlinked, you will find that over the next few days that number whittles down progressively as we link them to existing clusters,” he added.

Giving an update on the work of an inter-agency task force a week after it was set up to support foreign workers, the Manpower Ministry Permanent Secretary Aubeck Kam said the teams deployed to all 43 purpose-built dormitories since last week have stabilised living conditions there.

Mr Kam said the next phase of operations, which is “very critical”, would involve putting in place medical support so workers can receive good treatment.

The task force plans to set up medical teams at all 43 dormitories by the middle of this week, said Prof Mak.

This is up from the seven medical teams that are currently deployed at the eight dormitories that have been gazetted as isolation areas.

Said task force commander, Chief Guards Officer Seet Uei Lim: “Now, our focus is on healthcare protection, and soon we will expand our healthcare capacity. The end state is to return to normalcy, ensure that dormitories can take care of our foreign friends.”

On the next steps, Brigadier-General Seet said: “We intend to meet the welfare needs of our foreign friends, and looking ahead, Ramadan is coming and we’re working with Muis on meeting the needs of our Muslim friends.”

He added that the task force will also “proactively case find to break the chain of infection” and rope in medical workers from the polyclinics and general practitioners to beef up medical support.

The task force was formed last Tuesday (April 7) to ensure foreign workers’ well-being and improve their living conditions after dormitories emerged as a source of concern during the outbreak.

At least 15 dormitories have emerged as clusters, with eight declared as isolation areas so far. This means that workers have to be quarantined in their rooms for 14 days.

To date, 7,000 healthy foreign workers in essential services have been relocated to 18 temporary housing locations, such as facilities that fall under the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Education and Sports Singapore.

This move is to minimise disruption to essential services, alleviate the load on public health amenities and minimise the risk of these healthy workers getting infected./ Toh Ting Wei Lim Min Zhang

Mandatory for all to wear masks when out | 334 new Covid-19 cases | THE BIG STORY

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BANGKOK-  30 new Covid-19 cases, 2 more deathsSafely behind a transparent partition, masked monks receive alms from visitors at Wat Samian Nari in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Safely behind a transparent partition, masked monks receive alms from visitors at Wat Samian Nari in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
The government on Wednesday reported 30 new local cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), lifting the total to 2,643 over 68 provinces, and two new deaths, increasing the toll to 43.
Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said the 42nd death was a Thai woman aged 65 who was a food vendor in a walking street. She also had diabetes, chronic renal disease and hypertension.
On March 7 she had a high fever and cough, and bought medicine to treat herself. On March 12 she went to a hospital in Chiang Mai province to seek treatment because wsa still unwell. On March 15 she fainted, went back to the same hospital and then returned home.
On March 17 she was tested for Covid-19 and was admitted to a public hospital the following day suffering from exhaustion, but remained conscious.
On March 19 her Covid-19 test returned positive and she was given favipiravir anti-viral medication, Dr Taweesilp said.
On March 22 she suffered shortness of breath and was diagnosed with severe pneumonia and an enlarged heart. On April 6 she became unconscious and her blood pressures fell. She died on April 13.
Dr Taweesilp said the woman had been in close contact with a family member who was infected with Covid-19.
The 43rd death was a Thai man aged 60 who returned from an Islamic ceremony in Indonesia on March 24. On April 2, he had a fever of 38.4°C and muscle pain.
He sought treatment at a hospital in Ayutthaya province. His condition gradually deteriorated and he died on April 14.
Dr Taweesilp advised people who have similar symptoms to quickly see a doctor.
“We have known this disease for only a few months. A quick meeting with a doctor can result in fast and effective treatment,” he said.
The 30 new local cases included 19 people in close contact with previous patients, two visitors to crowded places, one returnee from France and one quarantined returnee from the United States with a connecting flight in Japan. Seven patients were under investigation.
Dr Taweesilp said the information showed that infection remained possible in crowded places, so the government still needed to close these areas.
The number of new cases was fluctuating in Bangkok and Nonthaburi, while those in other provinces were declining, he said.
Of the 2,643 accumulated cases, 1,497 patients had recovered and were discharged. Bangkok continued to post the most patients, 1,328, followed by 190 in Phuket, 149 in Nonthaburi, 108 in Samut Prakan and 93 in Yala province.
The biggest group of patients was still in 30-39 years age range.
Nine provinces still have no reported cases of Covid-19 — Ang Thong, Bung Kan, Chai Nat, Kamphaeng Phet, Nan, Phichit, Ranong, Sing Buri and Trat.

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HA NOI- Total COVID-19 cases in Việt Nam hits 267

Residents in Hạ Lôi Village wait to be tested for COVID-19. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Another person from a village identified as a COVID-19 hotspot has tested positive for the virus.

The 46-year-old man is the 13th person to contract coronavirus from Hạ Lôi Village in Hà Nội’s Mê Linh District.

Wednesday morning’s announcement from the Ministry of Health means there have now been a total of 267 COVID-19 patients in Việt Nam.

He is the father of the 257th patient and husband of the 258th patient. He had close contact with patient 243 on March 20.

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A medical worker takes a sample of a resident in Hạ Lội Village for testing for COVID-19. — VNA/VNS Photo

He was taken to a quarantine centre on April 8 and started to develop a fever, sore throat and tiredness five days later.He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on April 14.

The man is being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Disease No 2 in Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District.

So far, 169 people who contracted the disease have been treated and made a full recovery. — VNS

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DILI, Leste-Timor-

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TRIVIA: ASEAN
10 States ― Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
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