TACLOBAN CITY (PNA) – The Department of Health (DOH) has reported that 134 more patients in Eastern Visayas have recovered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the region's total recoveries to 2,945. 

The number represents 79.83 percent of the region's confirmed cases since March, which has reached 3,688, with the addition of 57 new infections, DOH 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Minerva Molon, said in a press statement released Friday night.

To date, the region has 710 active cases and 33 deaths.

"Recorded deaths in the region have undergone review of the DOH and it shows that most of them belong to the vulnerable group. These include elderlies and individuals with comorbidities, such as kidney and cardiac diseases, hypertension, and diabetes, among others," Molon said.

She said most of the patients were asymptomatic and were managed in local community isolation units and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities across the region.

Of the newly reported cases, 36 were from Leyte – 11 in Tacloban City, seven each in Jaro and Villaba, three in Inopacan, two in Palo, and one each in Ormoc City, Babatngon, Tolosa, Leyte, Javier, and Abuyog.

In Samar, 13 more have been infected – 11 in Catbalogan City, and one each in Calbayog City and Sta. Rita.

Four new cases have been reported in Southern Leyte, three in Malitbog and one in San Juan; three in Eastern Samar, two in Guiuan and one in Salcedo; and one in Caibiran town in Biliran.

"Majority of them had no travel history but (were) close contacts of confirmed patients," Molon said.

She added that 41 of the new cases were part of the 568 swab test results from the state-run Eastern Visayas Covid-19 Testing Center and 16 from the 259 tests conducted at the privately managed Divine Word Hospital Virology Laboratory, both in Tacloban City.