COVID-19 ROUNDUP: 12,576 Cases Reported On April 3; UK Bans Travelers From Phl; Magalong Tests Positive

The Philippines logged 12,576 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, April 3, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.

The highest single-day tally was recorded after the DOH reported 15,310 cases on Friday, April 2, but this figure included 3,709 infections that were supposed to be reported on March 31. From 9, 296 additional cases on March 30, the DOH documented 6,128 on March 31 and 8,920 on April 1.

According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, there were issues in the  uploading of data in the system last March 3, but these had been resolved and that there were no more backlogs.

Based on the DOH’s daily bulletin, the total number of cases reached 784,043 as of Saturday. The latest data showed that seven COVID-19 testing laboratories were not able to submit their reports.

The bulletin showed there were 103 deaths, bringing death toll to 12,423. “The relatively high number of death in (Saturday’s) bulletin stems from the ongoing data reconciliation process with both the Philippine Statistics Authority and our local Epidemiology Surveillance Units,” the DOH said.

The agency added there were 599 patients who recovered, raising the number of recoveries to 604,905. There were 165,715 active cases, representing 21.1 percent of the overall cases.

UK bans foreign travelers from Phl starting April 9

International visitors who have departed from or transited through the Philippines in the last 10 days will be refused entry into the United Kingdom starting April 9 as part of its efforts to protect its citizens against new variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

The UK Department of Transport said on Friday the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh will be added to England’s red list following “new data showing an increased risk of importation of variants of concern.”

“With over 30 million vaccinations delivered in the UK so far, the additional restrictions will help to reduce the risk of new variants – such as those first identified in South Africa (SA) and Brazil – entering England,” the advisory read.

“So far, surveillance has found that few cases of the SA variant have been identified as being imported from Europe, with most coming from other parts of the world,” it added.

Only British and Irish nationals or those with residence rights in the UK will be allowed to enter. Upon arrival, they will be required to self-isolate in a government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days.

According to the UK, no direct flight bans will be put in place, but passengers were advised to check their travel plans before departing.

In a statement, British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce said they are awaiting confirmation from the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on whether they will adopt the same policy.

“These measures have been put in place to protect public health in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, in particular by helping reduce the risk of new variants entering the UK,” he said.

“At the moment, there are over 30 countries on the red list. All of these decisions have been taken after careful assessment,” he added.

Pruce said the measures are temporary and will be kept under review, stressing that it will only be maintained while the level of risk justifies them.

Contact tracing czar tests positive for COVID-19

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the country’s contact tracing czar, announced on Saturday he tested positive for COVID-19.

Magalong said the result of his reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR test on Friday morning came out at 4:30 p.m. on the same day.

"Contact tracing efforts are underway for those whom I have come into close contact with.  I also strongly advise everybody to observe the minimum health standards," he said in a statement.

In January, Magalong admitted his lapses and offered to resign after attending a party organized by celebrity host Tim Yap in Baguio City. Magalong was among those photographed without a face mask and fined for the offense. His resignation was not accepted by Malacañang.

Magalong admitted that testing positive for the disease was devastating blow to him and his family.

He reminded the public about the seriousness of the pandemic and that health and safety protocols must be followed and not be taken for granted.  "Let us do this for our family, our friends and everyone we care for.  In these challenging times, let us all work as one and let us all heal as one," he said.

Magalong stressed being sick with COVID-19 is a difficult situation and he does not want anyone to be infected like him as it is emotionally, psychologically and financially difficult for everyone to bear.  

"However, despite the predicament I am in, please be rest assured that we are still monitoring closely the City’s situation and coordinating to the proper authorities the necessary things to be done," Magalong assured.