The Department of Health has confirmed today, March 7, that the total number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines has risen to six.
In a news briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque announced that the latest confirmed case is the 59-year-old wife of the 62-year-old patient who was the country’s 5th confirmed case.
According to Duque, the wife had been experiencing coughs and was admitted to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine on March 5. “The patient is currently in stable condition,” he said.
The 62-year-old patient has also been confirmed to be the first case of local transmission in the Philippines as he had no prior history of travel. According to reports, he continues to be in “critical condition” due to “severe pneumonia.”
DOH has now raised the COVID-19 alert system to Code Red sublevel 1 “in anticipation of possible sustained community transmission.” It is a “preemptive call to ensure that national and local governments, and private and public health care providers can prepare for a possible increase in suspected and confirmed cases.”
They also recommended to Malacañang to declare a state of public health emergency following these cases.
(ALSO READ: Philippines Confirms 5th Coronavirus Case In Filipino With No Travel History)
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