ILOILO City – Almost 10 percent of the deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country came from Western Visayas.
Data from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH) showed as of April 1 that the region registered a total of 5,537 COVID-related deaths, nearly 10 percent of the 59,298 reported total deaths nationwide.
Data further showed that most of the cases were elderly or senior citizens, and a total of 2,622 of them died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic two years ago.
Although all age groups are at risk of contracting COVID-19, older people face significant risk of developing severe illness if they contract the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
This is due to physiological changes that come with ageing and potential underlying health conditions, WHO explained.
A total of 1,319 of the elderly who died of COVID-19 were between 61 to 70 years old. The rest were between 71 to 80 years old.
Yesterday Region 6 logged 14 additional COVID deaths but recorded zero on April 3 and April 1; two on April 2; six on March 31; two on March 30; four on March 29; 48 on March 28, another zero on March 26 and 27; and 55 on March 25.
According to DOH-6 spokesperson and medical officer III Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, the number of deaths recorded for the day is based on the received death certificates in a day.
She further explained that some local government units were slow to submit the death certificates of their respective COVID-19 death cases, thus, the number accumulated.
As of April 4, the total deaths in the region stood at 5,553.
Meanwhile, the region registered 13 new COVID-19 cases on April 4 which is the lowest recorded in a single day so far, since January this year. This brings the total active cases in the region to 2,648./PN
