MANILA- Local government units (LGUs) should adopt the new classification system for persons being checked for coronavirus as directed by the Philippine inter-agency task force on the pandemic response on Tuesday.

Local government units and all other government agencies should use the new classification system used by the Department of Health in all its subsequent issuances on COVID-19, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.

"Lahat po ng LGU at ahensya ng gobyerno ay inaatasang gamitin ang bagong klasipikasyon ng mga indibidwal na nasa ilalim ng surveillance batay sa mga bagong patakaran ng DOH," Nograles, spokesperson of the inter-agency task force said in a virtual press briefing.

(All LGUs and agencies of the government are instructed to use the new classification of individuals for COVID-19 based on the new guidelines by the DOH.)

Government agencies and LGUs were also instructed to update its existing issuances on COVID-19 with the new classification system.

The health department changed the classification for COVID-19 screening to "suspect," "probable" and "confirmed." with the first two covering those previously tagged as "persons under investigation."

It also removed the "person under monitoring" classification.

Under the new system, the DOH classifies those with symptoms but remain untested as "suspect," while those awaiting results are "probable."

Meanwhile, patients with positive results from official testing labs will be considered "confirmed" cases.

• ‘Suspect, probable, confirmed’: DOH shifts to new classification for patients screened for COVID-19

As of Monday, the Philippines has recorded 4,932 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of that number, 242 have recovered and 315 have died.