Covid 19

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of

coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan,
China, in December 2019.

On 30 January 2020, the Philippine Department of Health reported the first case of COVID-19 in
the country with a 38-year-old female Chinese national. On 7 March, the first local transmission
of COVID-19 was confirmed. WHO is working closely with the Department of Health in
responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Philippines now has 6,710 cases of COVID-19.

The country last recorded a slower increase in infections on April 8, with 106 new cases. The
day before, there were 104 new cases.

These are rare as the government expands its coronavirus testing efforts. It accredited 17
laboratories, which have conducted 61,049 tests as of Wednesday. The highest number of new
cases recorded in a day was 538 on March 31.

Meanwhile, the country has been seeing a rise in the number or recoveries, which is now at 693.
The DOH said 39 more people have survived the disease.

The death toll has risen to 446, as the DOH confirmed nine new fatalities. The Philippines has a
case fatality rate of 6.6 percent, the DOH has said.