The Department of Health (DOH) said a total of 420 patients under investigation  (PUIs) have been discharged with 19 more tested negative  for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)  as of Thursday  morning.  

All those who yielded negative results were discharged from hospitals where they had been quarantined for 14 days.

The DOH tracker also showed that another 133 individuals remain admitted in various hospitals nationwide. 

The DOH said the number of individuals checked for COVID-19 is now at 556, including two Chinese women who earlier tested positive for the deadly virus, and a Chinese man who also contracted the disease and died at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila last February 1.

He was recorded as the first fatality due to COVID-19 outside China.

As of Wednesday, a total of 456 patients have already tested negative for the viral infection, including some who have yet to be discharged.

The DOH is observing for possible COVID-19 infection persons who recently traveled to China with viral infection symptoms, such as cough and fever.

The number of individuals checked for COVID-19 is now at 556, including two Chinese women who earlier tested positive for the deadly virus, and a Chinese man who also contracted the disease and died at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila last February 1.

He was recorded as the first fatality due to COVID-19 outside China.

Patients need to test negative twice before they are discharged from hospitals.
The breakdown of the number of patients being monitored or were observed for COVID-19 per region:
Metro Manila – 106 admitted, 90 discharged, 2 confirmed cases (1 mortality)
Central Luzon – 3 admitted, 57 discharged
Central Visayas – 0 admitted, 54 discharged, 1 confirmed case
Calabarzon – 4 admitted, 46 discharged
Western Visayas – 2 admitted, 36 discharged
Cagayan Valley – 3 admitted, 32 discharged
Cordillera Administrative Region – 8 admitted, 18 discharged
Davao Region – 1 admitted, 22 discharged
Northern Mindanao – 1 admitted, 16 discharged
Eastern Visayas – 0 admitted, 16 discharged
Mimaropa – 1 admitted, 14 discharged
Ilocos Region – 1 admitted, 9 discharged
Bicol Region – 1 admitted, 5 discharged
Soccsksargen – 2 admitted, 1 discharged
Caraga– 0 admitted, 3 discharged
BARMM – 0 admitted, 1 discharged  

Globally, the death toll due to the novel coronavirus has surpassed 2,100. Eight of these deaths were recorded outside mainland China. The total number of infected individuals in at least 27 countries affected by the outbreak is now more than 75,000./ Stacy Ang