Philippines’ COVID-19 recoveries breach 1,000; cases now 8,212

The number of patients who have recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rose to 1,023 on Wednesday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 48 new recoveries.

Total infections nationwide also leaped to 8,212 with 254 new infections, while the death toll climbed to 558 after 28 more patients succumbed to the respiratory illness.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the 19 accredited laboratories nationwide have tested 89,021 people as of Tuesday, 78,730 or 88.44 percent of whom were negative while 10,139 or 11.39 percent tested positive.

These figures do not include data from two private laboratories that had not yet reported to the DOH.

Vergeire explained that the difference between the number of people who have tested positive and the reported number of confirmed cases is due to the processing and validation of results.

She also said that testing centers process a minimum of 2,895 samples and a maximum of 6,420 each day.

Vergeire earlier said the country will not be able to meet its target testing capacity of 8,000 per day by Thursday after some 40 staff at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine contracted COVID-19.

“Hindi pa rin po tumitigil ang pagpupursige na maabot ang ating target na 8,000 tests per day,” she assured.

On Tuesday, the health official said that the Philippines had increased its daily testing capacity to 6,320 tests. —LDF/NB, GMA News