Primer’s COVID-19 Daily Update: April 13, 2020

To keep you in the loop on the recent COVID-19 situation in the Philippines, Philippine Primer rounded up the latest updates you need to know:

Number of cases

The Department of Health (DOH) has reported 284 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, raising the total number to 4,932.

45 new recoveries and 18 additional mortalities were also recorded resulting in a total of 242 recoveries and 315 mortalities.

Manila Water’s static water tanks

Manila Water has installed several static water tanks in different areas in the East Zone in order to support the Department of Public Works and Highways-National Capital Region (DPWH-NCR).

These static water tanks are filled with disinfection solution that will be used in the “sanitation gantries” which DPWH-NCR have established in national roads. Further, these will be used to disinfect all the cars that will pass through the primary roads.

San Juan City’s COVID-19 container van facilities

Eight COVID-19 container van facilities were blessed and officially opened today in San Juan Medical Center. The said container vans are all modular and lightweight, created for additional COVID-19 facilities in the city of San Juan.

The container vans are all equipped with beds and air-conditioned units that will serve as a “staging area” for patients who were lined up for admission to SJMC’s COVID-19 ward. In addition, there will be an assigned container van for COVID-19 OB mothers who just gave birth.

Quezon City’s pilot community-based testing for COVID-19

Quezon City’s pilot community-based testing has started today at the QCX, Quezon Memorial Circle. In relation to this, 150 residents were expected to take part in the said community-based testing. According to Project Director Joseph Juico, those who will be checked were recommended by the Quezon City (QC) Health Department in coordination with the city’s barangays.

Testing booths and ward for the medical technologist were installed yesterday, April 12. The city government also provided vehicles for each patient to ensure that the social distancing measure is being applied.

Meanwhile, the head of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the QC Health Department (QCHD), Dr. Rolando Cruz, said that the samples that will be gathered will be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for testing. Results are expected to come out in three to five days.

Manila’s targeted COVID-19 mass testing begins

The Manila City government is now able to conduct its targeted mass testing. According to the Manila Public Information Office, the city can already proceed with over 1,000+ COVID-19 tests weekly. In addition, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has already given the “green light” to conduct the said mass testing for the Manila Health Department (MHD) and the city’s six district hospitals.

Below are the health facilities operated by the city government capable of conducting at least 232 COVID-19 swab tests per day or 1,624 per week.

• MHD/Delpan Quarantine Facility — 50 tests per day
• Ospital ng Maynila — 20 tests per day
• Sta. Ana Hospital/MIDCC — 30 tests per day
• Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center — 50 tests per day
• Ospital ng Tondo — 17 tests per day
• Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital — 15 tests per day
• Ospital ng Sampaloc — 50 tests per day

The swab tests will be processed by either the Department of Health’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (DOH-RITM) or the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).

822 seafarers repatriated from US Barbados

Since the number of distressed land and sea-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is growing, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) along with its Foreign Service posts has started its mission to bring Filipinos home amid COVID-19. In relation to this, as of today, DFA was already able to return 12,970 distressed OFWs including over 822 seafarers.

Filipino crew members of MS Norwegian Epic, MS Marina and MS Norwegian Spirit who arrived on two separate chartered flights were welcomed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this morning. The Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ) has also conducted mandatory quarantine inspection and briefing for the repatriated seafarers.

Meanwhile, the seafarers of MS Norwegian Epic and MS Marina will have to undergo a 14-day facility-based quarantine while those who are from MS Norwegian Spirit be on a home quarantine, following separate assessments made by the DOH-BOQ.

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Sources: Department of Health, Manila Water, San Juan City Government, Quezon City Government, Manila Public Information Office, Department of Foreign Affairs