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DPA
Manila
The Philippines’ health minister said on Monday it was too early to assess if a month-long lockdown affecting more than half of the country’s population would need to be extended to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.
As the lockdown on the main island of Luzon entered its third week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the current number of reported cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, does not reflect the real status of the outbreak in the country.
“The decision to lift or extend the lockdown will depend on the real status of Covid-19 in the Philippines, and the basis of that will be the testing,” he told DZBB radio station.
Duque said that government laboratories capable of processing specimens still have a backlog in testing. “When that backlog becomes zero, then we will know the real-time Covid-19 status in the Philippines.”
The Department of Health reported 128 new confirmed infections on Monday, bringing the country’s total to 1,546.
Seven additional deaths were reported, pushing the death toll to 78, while recoveries remained at 42.
The month-long lockdown in Luzon, where the capital Manila is located, took effect on March 16, and was supposed to be lifted on April 14.
Manila
The Philippines’ health minister said on Monday it was too early to assess if a month-long lockdown affecting more than half of the country’s population would need to be extended to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.
As the lockdown on the main island of Luzon entered its third week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the current number of reported cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, does not reflect the real status of the outbreak in the country.
“The decision to lift or extend the lockdown will depend on the real status of Covid-19 in the Philippines, and the basis of that will be the testing,” he told DZBB radio station.
Duque said that government laboratories capable of processing specimens still have a backlog in testing. “When that backlog becomes zero, then we will know the real-time Covid-19 status in the Philippines.”
The Department of Health reported 128 new confirmed infections on Monday, bringing the country’s total to 1,546.
Seven additional deaths were reported, pushing the death toll to 78, while recoveries remained at 42.
The month-long lockdown in Luzon, where the capital Manila is located, took effect on March 16, and was supposed to be lifted on April 14.
