Cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) continue to rise in Eastern Visayas with 27 new infections, bringing the region’s total to 848.

In a virtual presser on Wednesday, Department of Health (DOH) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Minerva Molon, said all of them are locally stranded individuals from different parts of Metro Manila, Rizal and Laguna.

Of the newly reported cases, 23 are from Samar — 14 in Paranas town, five in Motiong, two in Basey, and one each in San Sebastian and Calbayog City.

Four more residents of Southern Leyte have been infected, two in Maasin City and one each in the towns of Sogod and Malitbog. They will be tagged as the region’s patient numbers 823 to 848, Molon said.

“They are part of the 490 swab results from the region’s two laboratories here. Of the new confirmed cases, 26 were released by the state-run Eastern Visayas Regional Covid-19 Regional Testing Center and one by the privately-managed Divine Word Hospital,” she added.

The patients are confined in the isolation facilities of their respective local governments but would be transferred to a higher health care facility if further management is needed.

Based on the DOH monitoring, 653 or 78 percent of the region’s confirmed cases have already recovered, while three from Leyte, Biliran and Naval died due to Covid-19 complications.

To date, the region has 192 active cases housed in local community isolation units and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.

Molon attributed the region’s surge in infections since start of June to testing of returning residents, including overseas Filipino workers and LSIs, mostly from Metro Manila and Cebu.

“Majority of our cases are LSIs and they have acquired the virus outside the region. Despite the significant increase, community transmission has so far been prevented here since local government units immediately isolate returnees upon their arrival,” Molon said.

She also noted that the region has maintained a high recovery rate since most patients are asymptomatic. (PNA)