MANILA: The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said it has received at least 34 cases of heat-related illness, including six deaths, from Jan 1 to April 18 this year, Xinhua reported.
“The causes of death are still for verification,“ DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said.
The 34 reported heat-related cases were from the central Visayas region in the central Philippines, the Ilocos region in the northern Philippines, and the Soccsksargen region in the southern Philippines.
Eleven areas in five regions, including Metro Manila, suspended in-person classes on Wednesday following the state weather bureau’s warning of heat indexes reaching “danger” level exceeding 42 degrees Celsius.
The bureau cautioned that exposure to hot weather may cause cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke.
Early this month, the bureau warned of a scorching heat index of up to 51 degrees Celsius in some areas across the archipelagic country. It said the sweltering heat will sizzle until next month.
Sweltering weather has forced schools nationwide to conduct online classes to protect students, especially children, from the high heat index sweeping the country.
The heat index measures how hot it feels when the relative humidity at a given location is considered.
To avoid potential complications from the extreme heat, the bureau advised the public to limit outdoor activities and drink plenty of water. – Bernama, Xinhua
