Hottest News Last Week (April 6-10)

Bodies ‘piled up’ in morgue hallway – East Ave Hospital spokesperson

One of the country’s major hospitals involved in the fight against the novel coronavirus says, bodies have “piled up” in the hallway of its morgue facility.

East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) spokesperson Dr. Dennis Ordoña told CNN Philippines, this is because the hospital did not have sufficient equipment, such as freezers, to store additional human remains.

“Ang capacity lang po kasi noon [morgue] is for 5 patients. Ang pinakamataas po na na-record po namin ay 20 na mga cadavers na hindi po napi-pick-up,” the doctor says.

Ordoña adds that some of the bodies have been staying in the morgue for at least four days. He says, “honestly po, may mga bangkay na po doon na nangangamoy na. Umaabot na din po admittedly ‘yung amoy sa ibang areas po ng hospital.”

65 recovered COVID patients screened as possible blood donors

At least 65 patients who recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been screened if they are fit to donate blood for those still recuperating from the illness, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) said Monday.

While a vaccine for COVID-19 has yet to be developed, the PGH has been using convalescent plasma therapy – or transferring blood of recovered patients to those who are still battling the coronavirus – to help treat patients.

Coronavirus cases skyrocket to more than 530,000 in the US

The US has more than 530,000 coronavirus cases with every state now under an emergency disaster declaration for the first time in history, according to the latest figures.

The tally from John Hopkins University also showed the death toll in the country surpassing 20,000 on Sunday.

The rising number of infections comes after President Trump approved Saturday a major disaster declaration for Wyoming, ensuring that now all 50 states have federal funding available to fight the pandemic.

The declarations can also help state governments coordinate with federal resources such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Army Corps of Engineers.

DepEd: No graduation rites during COVID-19 crisis

There will be no graduation rites in the country due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Monday.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said that while the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is in effect, other local government units in the Visayas and Mindanao have also imposed similar initiatives.

China launches new facilities in West PH Sea just as world’s eyes fixed on COVID-19

While the world is turning topsy turvy over the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that started in China, it’s still business as usual for the Asian giant in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Two research stations were recently launched on two of China’s large man-made islands in the West Philippine Sea — Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) and Zamora (Subi) Reef, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported on March 20.