The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Sunday, March 28, 9,475 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
For three consecutive days, the Philippines logged more than 9,000 cases per day.
The total confirmed caseload of the country was 721,892, Of this, 14.6 percent or 105,568 were still being treated or active cases.
In the latest case bulletin, the DOH also reported 11 new deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 13,170.
Meanwhile, recoveries went up by 22,000, bringing the total to 603,154.
Malacañang on Saturday, March 27, approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to put Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 29 to April 4.
The Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) expressed hope that this measure will help clamp down the ongoing surge in cases.
“The actual wording of the recommendation is a minimum of one week. So syempre we really want to minimize the impact on the economy and syempre ang pag-asa natin sana, sana gumana ng maayos itong ating measures para hindi na natin kailanganin pang i-extend beyond one week (Of course we really want to minimize the impact on the economy and of course we hope, our measures will work so that we don't have to extend it beyond one week),” said HPAAC member Dr. Anna Ong-Lim in a press briefing on Saturday night, March 28.
“But the actual wording is a minimum of one week and that should tell us open yung possibility....na maaring humaba pa ito (that there is an open possibility that it will be extended),” she added.