MANILA, Philippines – Health officials have so far probed 267 persons in the Philippines for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as of 12 noon on Saturday, February 8, according to an advisory from the Department of Health (DOH).

This latest figure is higher than the 215 reported on Friday, February 7.

Of the 267, 230 have been admitted to hospitals, 19 have been discharged, while 13 have so far refused to be hospitalized.

The Philippines has had 3 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, one of whom died on February 1.

Two other patients who were monitored for the virus have died not from 2019-nCoV but of other ailments, the DOH said.

The patients who have been placed under observation for 2019-nCoV were from the following regions:

• Ilocos Region – 3
• Cagayan – 9
• Cordillera Administrative Region – 4
• Central Luzon – 36
• Metro Manila – 101
• Calabarzon – 24
• Mimaropa – 4
• Western Visayas – 23
• Central Visayas – 15
• Eastern Visayas – 13
• Northern Mindanao – 11
• Caraga – 2
• Davao Region – 18
• Soccsksaren – 1

Of the 3 confirmed 2019-nCoV cases, the first patient, a Chinese woman, already tested negative for the virus after the most recent tests by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. The DOH said she was well and no longer showed symptoms.

The second patient, the first patient’s partner who traveled with her to the Philippines from Wuhan, China, died of complications due to the novel coronavirus. His was the first death due to the virus outside China.

The third patient has since returned to China after a second round of tests showed her negative for 2019-nCoV.

Outside the Philippines, two Filipinos were reported to have contracted 2019-nCov: one is based in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, and the other, a crew member of a Japanese cruise ship.

On Saturday night, the Philippine government sent a chartered flight to Wuhan, China, to repatriate at least 26 Filipinos from Hubei province, the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV outbreak.

There were more than 40 expected repatriates on the flight manifest, but not all of them might be able to join the trip, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

A team of officials, doctors, and nurses from the DFA and DOH were to accompany the repatriates and monitor their health.

Once back in the Philippines, the repatriates, the team from the DFA and DOH, and the flight crew will be quarantined for 14 days at the New Clark City Athletes’ Village in Capas, Tarlac.

At least 722 people have died from the virus in China while more than 34,000 have been infected, according to the latest official figures. – Rappler.com