The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Monday the 10 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed infected individuals to 20.
DOH ASec. Maria Rosario Vergeire said this is a result of tightened surveillance following the first reported case of local transmission in the country.
The health department is currently gathering information on the exposure of the 10 new cases.
The Epidemiology Bureau has currently traced 468 contacts of COVID-19 patients four to 10, six of whom have been isolated and classified as patients under investigation.
Vergeire also said the ongoing matter is not yet considered a community-wide transmission since it can only be declared if there is no link found in the cases.
The new confirmed cases today add to the four cases initially announced by the DOH yesterday (March 8 ).
The test results of the 10 new cases were all released today, with their samples collected on March 6, 7, and 8, the DOH reported.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said the DOH’s existing stocks of test kits are currently a little above 2,000 from the original 4,500 due to the surge of people who want to be tested for the virus. – Report from Mark Fetalco
