The country's tally of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases topped 67,000 on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 2,241 more infections, bringing the total to 67,456.
READ: PH cases breach 65,000; ‘Prevention still the best’
The day's total was based on tests done by 74 of the 84 operational labs, the DOH said.
The five provinces with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 1,625, Laguna with 115, Cavite with 76, Rizal with 75, and Cebu with 55.
DOH reported 398 new recoveries, bringing the total number of patients who recovered from COVID-19 to 22,465.
The death toll climbed to 1,831 with 58 new fatalities—25 of which were in July and 33 of which were in June.
Deaths were from Region 7 (54 or 93 percent), NCR (one or 2 percent), Region 1 (one or 2 percent), Region 9 (one or 2 percent), and Region 11 (one or 2 percent).
Eighty-nine duplicates were removed from the total case count.
There are also 43,160 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 90.1 percent of which have mild symptoms, 9.1 percent are asymptomatic, 0.4 percent are severe, and 0.4 percent are in critical condition.
As of July 18, the Philippines had 67 certified polymerase chain reaction facilities and 22 GeneXpert laboratories that had tested a total of 1,058,764 individuals.
Meanwhile, 47.4 percent of intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide were occupied while 24.3 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use.
The Pasig City government placed several streets under localized enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) beginning Sunday due to the surge of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Vico Sotto said the localized lockdowns will be imposed on Pipino, Labanos, Okra and Ubas Streets in Napico, Barangay Manggahan.
Sotto said the implementation of the lockdowns will begin Sunday evening and last "until lifted by the city government."
"Residents will only be allowed to leave their houses for work and emergency reasons", he said.
Food packs will be distributed to residents in those areas, Sotto said, to minimize the need to buy food outside.
Pasig's latest data showed a total of 1,212 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 457 active cases, 661 recoveries, and 94 deaths.
Pasig recorded 109 confirmed cases, including 53 active cases, in Barangay Manggahan.
Also on Sunday, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) said health workers from different hospitals in Metro Manila held a noontime online protest action called “Protest from Wards” to denounce “deplorable” conditions in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press briefing, the DOH said at least 11 Metro Manila hospitals have reached full capacity on their COVID-19 dedicated beds.
READ: More hospitals run out of beds for virus cases
These are: Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), UST Hospital, University of Perpetual Help Medical Center, Tondo Medical Center (TMC), Seamen’s Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), Metro North Medical Center and Hospital, Las Pinas Doctors Hospital, De Los Santos Medical Center, Chinese General Hospital and Capitol Medical Center.
READ: Makati Med, St. Luke's QC and Global City now at full capacity for COVID-19
Meanwhile, the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) reported utilization of 97 percent; East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), 89 percent; and UERM, 83 percent.
Even the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital with the largest COVID-19 referral hospital in the country with 200 beds is already full, said Robert Mendoza, AHW national president.
READ: Palace assures hospitals still up to task handling COVID patients
On July 9, Dr. Rontgene Solante, Chief of the Adult Infectious Disease Division in San Lazaro Hospital, stated that their coronavirus ward is almost full.
On July 13, 2020, National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the country’s prime kidney and dialysis center, has announced that they are already in the “danger zone” of their designated bed capacity for COVID-19 patients.
“AHW is deeply concerned over the growing numbers of public and private hospitals and health facilities announcing that they are already in a full utilization of their COVID-19 wards,” Mendoza said.
Based on DOH data as of July 16, there are now 35 health workers who succumbed due to COVID-19. The total number of infected health care workers stands at 3,738 and 2,771 have recovered.
“The growing number of infected health workers is still due to lack of PPE (personal protective equipment), non-implementation of free mandatory regular testing for all health workers, working long hours and lack of manpower,” said Ulysses Arcilla, a nurse and president of San Lazaro Hospital Employees Association-AHW.
In San Lazaro Hospital (SLH), there are now 80 infected health workers and yesterday one died of COVID-1. Two nurses are now in critical condition and nine health workers are still waiting to be admitted, but cannot be admitted because there are no vacant COVID-19 beds, Arcilla said. Many health workers are still waiting for their swab test results. They lack quality N95 masks.
“Before, we used to take care of our patients. But now, it hurts to think that we are taking care of our fellow health workers. And what is even more depressing is when the day comes that even in our ranks there is no one to take care of because everyone is sick already,” Arcilla said.
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