MANILA (UPDATE) —The Department of Health and the East Avenue Medical Center on Saturday rejected allegations that there is an order to halt the counting of COVID-19 fatalities.

Talk circulated online that bodies were supposedly piling up at hospitals instead of being cremated, and hospitals in Quezon City were allegedly told not to do a census on deaths.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told ABS-CBN News that officials are investigating the issue.

“We have not issued any policy or instruction for non-reporting of deaths,” she said in a message, adding that those with information should let the DOH know which hospitals are involved.

In a tweet, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also said that “the DOH did NOT and will NEVER issue a directive for hospitals to conceal the number of COVID-19 deaths.”

A social media post also circulated calling for donations for cadaver bags allegedly because of a shortage at East Avenue Medical Center.

A hospital official said the center was not told to hold back tallying the fatalities.

“That rumor I really don’t know how it started and how it escalated. But as far as East Avenue was concerned, we received no order or directive from the DOH or the local government unit of Quezon City to stop recording and reporting death-related to COVID,” Dr. Alfonso G Nuñez III, OIC Medical Center Chief II, told ABS-CBN News in a phone interview. He later released a signed statement stating that the hospital continues to record and report COVID-19-related deaths.

East Avenue Medical Center, nilinaw na walang natatanggap na direktiba mula sa DOH na itigil ang pagbibilang at pag-uulat ng mga namamatay dahil sa #COVID19. (📷: DOH) pic.twitter.com/RRMJYNr7UH

— jeff hernaez (@jeffreyhernaez) April 11, 2020

East Avenue Medical Center denied reports that it had run out of body bags but another official confirmed that the number of unclaimed bodies did go up this week.

“We have cadaver bags available. At least 30 cadaver bags available. And another 100 coming in next week,” Nuñez said.

Dr. Dennis Ordoña, EAMC spokesperson, told ABS-CBN News in a phone interview also on Saturday that in the “past few days starting this week, nag-pile up ang ating cadavers, umaabot po ng 15 to 20 ang ating cadavers.”

(Past few days starting this week, the cadavers started piling up. There were 15 to 20 cadavers.)

“Yung capacity ng morgue is hanggang 5 lang,” he added.

(The capacity of the morgue is up to 5 only.)

However, Ordoña said that as of Saturday, the number of bodies in their morgue has gone down to 6.

He said the hospital is not used to having bodies unclaimed and that it might have something to do with the filled-up slots for cremation. The hospital spokesperson said what the facility needs now are mortuary freezers since the morgue is still operating beyond capacity.

• READ: East Avenue Medical Center could need mortuary freezer, as unclaimed bodies increase

Shortly after Duque’s post on Twitter, the DOH issued a statement.

“There have been circulating reports that a hospital based in Metro Manila was allegedly instructed to stop counting COVID-19 deaths. DOH clarifies it has never issued any order to stop the census or reporting of deaths, or any case related to COVID-19 to any health facility,” it said.

It also called on the public “to exercise discretion when sharing information, to fact-check and verify first through DOH’s official channels and legitimate sources.”

The written statement also explained that the DOH is already coordinating with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and local government units for the proper management of the dead.

It mentioned Pasig City and Quezon City as having designated crematoriums and for other LGUs to follow their example.

In a statement released Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo reminded the public, especially media practitioners, to be more responsible in posting unconfirmed information.

"The Palace reminds all citizens, especially those who are prominent media practitioners, to be more responsible in posting an unconfirmed information (sic) that they receive. It is more helpful to validate the same with the government offices concerned instead of publishing it which may be accepted by gullible netizens as true," he said.

The rumors of the non-reporting of COVID-19 fatalities were linked to a social media post calling for donors or suppliers of body bags for EAMC.

But Nuñez explained that the person whose number was mentioned in the post was a trainee.

“Maybe she just wanted to ask for anybody who can give or refer possible companies to whom we can buy more,” he said. “But we have cadaver bags. This is supplied by Department of Health and other bags were procured by us.”

Asked how many COVID-19 cases are in EAMC, Nuñez said they are not allowed to disclose since reporting of cases from hospitals have now been centralized by the DOH.

Based on the DOH’s Summary of Positive Cases and Case Bulletins, EAMC had 7 COVID-19 patients as of April 2, one of whom died. The DOH has yet to release new data on COVID-19 cases.

• READ: No more detailed reports about COVID-19 cases in PH? DOH explains why