DOH: Philippines records 17 new suspected COVID-19 cases

As of Thursday, February 20, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 17 new suspected cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, bringing the total number of persons under investigation (PUIs) to 556.

The DOH reported that only around a quarter or 133 PUIs are still confined at various medical facilities across the country, with Metro Manila hosting the highest number.

Two out of three confirmed cases have recovered while one died. The total number of discharged PUIs is now 420.

On February 17 and 18, the DOH noted a downtrend in the number of PUIs admitted to hospitals, attributing this decrease to improved surveillance and case management.