TACLOBAN CITY – The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) death toll in Eastern Visayas has climbed to 25 after nine more fatalities were reported by the Department of Health (DOH-8) on Wednesday.
Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 regional director, said the mortalities include a 1-month-old infant from Javier, Leyte.
“The fatality from Javier, Leyte is the youngest among the reported COVID-19 deaths in the region. It only tells that no one is spared from the virus transmission,” Molon said.
She added the deaths occured from August 16 to 31 in Leyte and Samar provinces, which is 0.81 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in the region. However, the official said it is still comparatively low than the national case fatality rate, which is at 1.61 percent.
Other new confirmed COVID-19 deaths include a 59-year-old male, 73-year-old female, and 47-year-old male from Tacloban City; 52-year-old-male from Babatngon, Leyte; 32-year-old male from Alangalang, Leyte; 79-year-old male from Hinabangan, Samar; 42-year-old female from Mahaplag, Leyte; and a 69-year-old female from Calbiga, Samar.
The region has noted a continuous increase of fresh and active cases. From August 26 to September 1, the new cases have reached 683 compared to only 602 in the previous week.
Molon noted that majority of these cases are locally acquired. Of these, 19.69 percent or 312 are health workers.
Tacloban City has logged the most number of cases with 199, followed by Catbalogan City with 131, Palo, Leyte with 29, Basey, and Villareal in Samar with 23 each.
Eastern Visayas now has a total of 3,160 COVID-19 cases with 1,920 recoveries.