A total of 273 individuals have recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), as of yesterday, the Department of Health (DOH), said.
In its daily Covid-19 bulletin, the DOH said this brings the country’s total recoveries to 409,329 or 91.6 percent of all Covid-19 cases in the country.
Some 1,504 new infections were also recorded, with the country’s active cases now at 29,001 or 6.5 percent of all Covid-19 cases.
Of the new cases, it said Davao City reported the most with 122, followed by Rizal province with 85, Quezon City with 80, the City of Santiago with 67, and Bulacan with 64.
Of the active cases, 85.8 percent are showing mild symptoms, the asymptomatic at 6.7 percent, those in critical condition at 4.8 percent, those with severe symptoms at 2.4 percent, and those with moderate symptoms at 0.25 percent.
Eight new deaths were attributed to Covid-19, with the country’s casualty against the disease totaling 8,709 or 1.95 percent of all cases.
Many of the country’s health facilities remain open to those infected, with 58 percent of the country’s 1,900 beds at intensive care units currently available, 61 percent of 13,500 isolation beds unoccupied, 73 percent of 5,900 ward beds unoccupied, and 80 percent of 2,000 ventilators are not in use.
Meanwhile, a measure seeking to extend the effectivity of Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) has hurdled the committee level at the House of Representatives.
During a hearing yesterday, the House Committee on Appropriations approved a consolidated bill extending the law’s validity from Dec. 19 until June 30, 2021 as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, one of the authors of the bill, said the proposed extension would allow the government to continue its programs and efforts taken under Bayanihan 2.
“By extending its validity, the President will be able to continuously sustain and further the capacity of the government in supporting the Filipino people rise above the adversity brought about by the pandemic,” Velasco said.
Bayanihan 2 provides for a stimulus package of P140 billion in regular appropriation and P25 billion as standby funds to be utilized to cushion the effects of the pandemic and strengthen the efforts in gradually reopening the economy.
The Bayanihan 2 is the second installment of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), which gave President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the Covid-19 crisis in the country.*PNA
