Philippines’ COVID-19 cases rise to 6,981 with 722 recoveries, 462 deaths

The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections across the Philippines rose to 6,981 on Thursday after the Department of Health reported 271 new cases.

The number of patients who have recovered from the respiratory illness also rose to 722 with 29 new recoveries, while the death toll climbed to 462 after 16 more fatalities were recorded.

Health officials earlier said that it is still “too early to say” that the country’s COVID-19 curve has started to flatten but acknowledged that there are indications supporting that observation. 

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said over 61,000 Filipinos had been tested for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, 87.1 percent of whom tested negative for the disease while 12.8 percent came out positive.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the country’s biggest COVID-19 testing center, is expected to clear its backlogs by the end of the month despite the scale-down of operations after some 40 staff tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Vergeire also said a huge laboratory expected to run 3,000 to 5,000 tests per day may be launched in Region 3 next month. —LDF, GMA News