Residents of a building raise a sign that reads "Salamat" (Thank you) to show their appreciation to COVID-19 frontline medical staff in Pasay City, the Philippines, on April 9, 2020. The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported 206 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of the COVID-19 cases in the country to 4,076. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
MANILA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported 206 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of the COVID-19 cases in the country to 4,076.
The DOH said 124 patients have recovered and 203 died from the viral disease so far.
The country's Education Secretary Leonor Briones confirmed on Thursday that she had tested positive for the virus.
Briones is the second Cabinet member to get infected with the COVID-19 in the country, after Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano.
"I am going on isolation. However, like my fellow Cabinet member, I will continue working -- virtually attend IATF (the Inter-Agency Task Force) meetings, preside over the Department of Education (DepEd) Executive Committee and DepEd Management Committee, and make all decisions necessary to keep DepEd in full operation," Briones said.
Lawmakers, including senators and members of the House of Representatives, and local officials are also among those who contracted the highly infectious virus.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a total of 607 overseas Filipinos from 38 countries and regions covering Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas have contracted COVID-19. The DFA said 364 overseas Filipinos are undergoing treatment aboard. It said 171 have recovered and 72 have died from the disease.
The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has been repatriating overseas Filipinos since the COVID-19 outbreak.
To date, the DFA said a total of 9,628 Filipinos have returned home amid COVID-19 pandemic, of which, a total of 6,680 are seafarers while 2,948 are land-based OFWs (overseas Pilipino workers).
