Hospitals told to beef up infection control as more health workers catch COVID-19

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/04/09/20210409-covid-sta-ana-hospital-full-rtr.jpg"/><figcaption>Health workers sort patients&#x27; files at a triage area in Santa Ana Hospital, where a sign indicating that the hospital&#x27;s COVID-19 facility is at full capacity is displayed, in Manila on April 9, 2021. <em>Lisa Marie David, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The Department of Health on Wednesday urged hospitals to implement tighter infection prevention and control policies as many health workers were infected with COVID-19 amid surge in infections.</p><p>&quot;Because COVID-19 cases are increasing, many of our health-care workers got sick. That&#x27;s why we are implementing stricter infection prevention and control management in each of our hospitals,&quot; Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told Teleradyo in Filipino.</p><p>Data from DOH showed that new coronavirus infections among healthcare workers reached their highest weekly tally in the last 6 months.</p><p>From April 4 to April 10, the Philippines reported 399 new COVID-19 cases among medical frontliners. Of the new cases, almost half or 170 were nurses, 53 were doctors and 22 were medical technologists.</p><p>Coronavirus-related fatalities among healthcare workers also increased by 4 after not having any recorded deaths for more than a month. </p><p>To date, the total number of health-care workers who have contracted COVID-19 reached 16,510. Of those, 86 died and 628 are currently infected. The rest have recovered.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/13/21/doh-data-covid-19-cases-among-health-workers-reach-highest-weekly-tally-in-6-months">DOH data: COVID-19 cases among health workers reach highest weekly tally in 6 months</a></li></ul><p>In the interview, Vergeire said the DOH regularly provided hospitals personal protective equipment (PPE) and other resources.</p><p>Health-care facilities are also urged to regularly test their employees for COVID-19, she added. The tests could be done every 15 days or every month.</p><p>Vergeire said the government also provided health-care workers additional incentives, additional hazard pay and risk allowance.</p><p>Medical frontliners must also be given accommodation and free meals when they are on duty, she added.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1661225" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The Department of Health on Wednesday urged hospitals to implement tighter infection prevention and control policies as many health workers were infected with COVID-19 amid surge in infections.</p>

The Department of Health on Wednesday urged hospitals to implement tighter infection prevention and control policies as many health workers were infected with COVID-19 amid surge in infections.

Hospitals told to beef up infection control as more health workers catch COVID-19 | ABS-CBN

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Hospitals told to beef up infection control as more health workers catch COVID-19

Hospitals told to beef up infection control as more health workers catch COVID-19

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 14, 2021 02:21 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 14, 2021 02:32 PM PHT

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Teleradyo

Department of Health

DOH

Maria Rosario Vergeire

health-care workers

COVID-19

coronavirus

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