MANILA, Philippines – The total number of patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the Philippines is now at 64 after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 12 new cases late Friday night, March 13.

Eleven out of the 12 new patients are currently confined in various hospitals in Metro Manila, which will be under a month-long quarantine starting Sunday, March 15.   

Three of the patients are confined at The Medical City-Ortigas in Pasig City, two at the Ortigas Hospital and Health Care Center in Pasig City, two at St Luke’s Medical Center-Global City in Taguig City, then one each at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, Makati Medical Center, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Marikina Valley Medical Center, and the Bataan St Joseph Hospital and Medical Center.  

Four are confirmed to be Filipinos, while the nationalities of the rest are still being validated by the DOH. (READ: Can you carry the 2019-nCoV but not show symptoms?)

Here are all their details provided by the DOH, including when they tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus:

• Patient 53 is a 30-year-old Filipino male who is a resident of Mandaluyong City and is currently admitted to the Medical City-Ortigas in Pasig. He started showing symptoms on March 9, was confined at the hospital on March 10, and tested positive on March 12.
• Patient 54 is a 40-year-old Filipino male who is a resident of Pasig City and is currently admitted to the Ortigas Hospital and Health Care Center. He started showing symptoms on March, was confined at the hospital on March 10, and tested positive on March 12.
• Patient 55 is a 59-year-old woman who is currently admitted to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. She tested positive on March 13. 
• Patient 56 is a 41-year-old male currently admitted to St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City in Taguig. He tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 57 is a 65-year-old male currently admitted to The Medical City-Ortigas in Pasig. He tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 58 is a 45-year-old Filipina woman who is a resident of Makati City and is currently admitted to The Medical City-Ortigas in Pasig. She started showing symptoms on March 6, was confined at the hospital on March 10, and tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 59 is a 27-year-old male currently admitted to the Makati Medical Center. He tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 60 is a 49-year-old male currently admitted to St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City in Taguig. He tested positive on March 13. 
• Patient 61 is a 70-year-old female currently admitted to the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center. She tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 62 is a 35-year-old female currently admitted to the Ortigas Hospital and Health Care Center. She tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 63 is a 33-year-old Filipino male who lives in Rizal and is currently admitted to the Marikina Valley Medical Center. He started showing symptoms on March 6 and tested positive on March 13.
• Patient 64 is a 32-year-old male who is a resident of Manila and is currently admitted to the Bataan St Joseph Hospital and Medical Center. He started showing symptoms on February 28, was confined at the hospital on March 9, and tested positive on March 13.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III has already deployed surveillance teams to work with the concerned local government units to trace all the individuals with whom the new positive cases made contact.  

Duque said data they have gathered so far shows that the most vulnerable to COVID-19 are the elderly, with average age of 66, and those with preexisting medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression.

“Hinihikayat namin ang mga immunocompromised at may umiiral ng kondisyong pangkalusugan na mas maging maingat at umiwas sa matataong lugar at mga pagtitipon,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque said in a a statement.

(We urge everyone who is immunocompromised and who has exisiting health conditions to be more vigilant and avoid public spaces as well as mass gatherings.)

Anyone who has information that can help the contact tracing activities may call the DOH hotline at (02) 8-651-7800 local 1149-1150. 

Of the 64 COVID-19 cases recorded in the Philippines so far, 5 have died. Four of the deceased patients are Filipinos, while one is a Chinese who came from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak that has infected more than 134,000 people and killed over 5,000 worldwide. – Rappler.com