Philippines confirms 239 new coronavirus deaths on Sat (Feb 20), second-highest daily casualty figure

MANILA, Feb 21 (Reuters): The Philippines' health ministry on Saturday night (Feb 20) reported 239 new coronavirus deaths, the second-highest daily increase in casualties since the pandemic started, and 2,240 infections.

The previous daily high death toll was 259 deaths reported on Sept. 14.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases have increased to 559,288 while confirmed Covid-19 deaths have reached 12,068.

President Rodrigo Duterte is to decide next week whether to further loosen coronavirus curbs in the capital, Manila, to allow more economic activity.

The bulletin added that 504 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 513,120.

The Philippines, which has about 110 million population, has tested nearly eight million people since the disease emerged in January last year.

The DOH called on local government units to step up and intensify surveillance efforts to prevent transmission, should the government ease further the quarantine measures next month.

"The local government must come up with a response such as better surveillance so that they can appropriately manage if ever and control the number of cases. That is our safeguard," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a televised press conference on Saturday.

Vergeire made the statement amid plans to place the country under the lowest quarantine level starting March 1 to rev up the pandemic-hit economy.

Vergeire said it is about time the Philippines reopens the economy after the coronavirus shut down in mid-March last year to curb the coronavirus spread.

"It's the direction of government. We have been under strict lockdown for a year now, and we have to look at the other side of the fence, and that is our economy," Vergeire said, stressing the need to balance the economy and health, citing the health consequences of having a low economy.

While the lockdown measures have slowed community transmission, the imposition of strict lockdown rules resulted in significant adverse impacts on family incomes, jobs, education of children, food security, and businesses.

The Philippine economy shrank 9.5 percent in 2020, the lowest gross domestic product since 1946.

Vergeire urged Filipinos to continue wearing face covering, keeping physical distance, and avoiding crowded and enclosed places to prevent transmission as the economy gradually opens.