By Noel Punzalan

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has posted an 85-percent Covid-19 recovery rate as of Tuesday night, the region’s Ministry of Health (MOH) reported.
Dr. Bashary Latiph, MOH-BARMM minister, said Wednesday the cumulative Covid-19 cases in the region since March last year are 6,696 with 5,568 recoveries or about 85 percent.
“Our recovery percentage is still much higher compared to other regions,” Latiph said. “We are really working hard round-the-clock to address the threats of the virus”.
As of the latest data, he said BARMM logged 71 recoveries but was coupled with 59 new cases. Of the new cases, 34 were from Lanao del Sur; followed by Cotabato with 18; Basilan, 6; and Sulu, 1.
Data provided by the BARMM Inter-Agency Task Force Against Covid-19 on Tuesday also showed a total of 771 active cases for the region, with Maguindanao province on top with 220 cases; Lanao del Sur, 201; Basilan, 144; Cotabato City, 125; Sulu, 70; and Tawi-Tawi, 11.
Deaths related to Covid-19 are at 257.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to place Lanao del Sur and Cotabato City as among several areas in the country under the stricter general community quarantine status until June 30.
The rest of the region was categorized under the relaxed modified general community quarantine status.
BARMM covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi; the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, and Lamitan; and the 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato. Philippine News Agency