MANILA — Nearly 2,000 health workers, mostly nurses and doctors, have contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Health said Monday.

There are at least 1,991 health workers with COVID-19, with 57 new cases since May 7. None have died in recent days, DOH said.

Of the 1,991 cases, 753 are nurses, 628 are doctors, 127 are nursing assistants, 72 are medical technologists, 39 are radiologic technologists and the rest are other health workers and health facilities personnel.

“Itong nakaraang araw ay paunti na ng paunti ang health workers na nagpopositibo,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire claimed during a televised briefing.

(These past days, the number of health workers who tested positive continue to dwindle.)

Vergeire says new cases of COVID-19 among health workers continue to go down @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/17qdp0tKdx

— Kristine Sabillo (@kristinesabillo) May 11, 2020

Of the total number of health workers who tested positive for the disease, 584 have already recovered.

“Kahapon ay wala tayong naitalang bagong kaso na namatay mula sa sakit na COVID-19,” Vergeire added.

(Yesterday, we have not recorded any new fatality from COVID-19.)

The number of health workers who died due to COVID-19 remains at 34.

Vergeire attributed the slowing down of the spread of the virus among health workers to “infection prevention and control measures” implemented by hospitals.

Prior the coronavirus pandemic, Philippines is already facing a shortage in health care workers, with the current doctor-to-patient ratio standing at 1 to 40,000, far from the ideal 1 to 10,000 as recommended by the World Health Organization.

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