After the country's cases soared past the 85,000 mark, the government has adjusted the method of classifying people who have recovered from the coronavirus illness.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the recommendation of the Department of Health (DOH) on "time-based reckoning of COVID-19 recoveries" during a meeting Thursday.
"Time-based reckoning of recoveries of mild and asymptomatic patients who have completed 14 days of isolation from the date of onset of illness or specimen collection shall be immediately implemented," the resolution read.
The task force also directed the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to cascade the latest recovery policies to the local government units.
"Counting 14-day isolation for mild and asymptomatic confirmed cases shall start from date onset of illness or specimen collection," the resolution read.
The IATF also agreed with the DOH recommendation to "enforce submission of accurate, complete and timely reports to the DOH through COVID-Kaya." The reports must include updating the health status and outcome of patients upon discharge, recovery or death by all hospitals, local government units and disease reporting units.
The same IATF resolution noted that there are a total of 3,954 new cases of coronavirus in the country on Thursday.
As a result of the new reporting policy, the country's recovered cases jumped to 65,064 on Thursday after authorities reported 38,075 new recoveries.
The country’s total COVID recoveries numbered only 26,996 last Wednesday.
The health department previously required another round of coronavirus test before a person is declared recovered. Under the new setup, patients with mild or no symptoms are considered recovered 14 days from the date of onset of symptoms or specimen collection.
The country has so far recorded 89,374 cases of infections with 1,983 deaths.
Meantime, the IATF has also allowed minor children of Filipino nationals and foreign parents of minor Filipinos with valid visas to enter the country. The easing of travel restrictions was contained in the same IATF Resolution No. 60 issued Thursday.
Under the resolution, "foreign spouses, minor children, including children with special needs, regardless of age, of Filipino nationals, as well as foreign parents of minor children with special needs” can enter the country. They however must "secure or possess the appropriate visas."