2,241 new cases bring Philippine COVID-19 total to over 67,000

The Philippines’ tally of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases topped 67,000 on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 2,241 more infections, bringing the total to 67,456.

The five provinces with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 1,625, Laguna with 115, Cavite with 76, Rizal with 75, and Cebu with 55.

Total recoveries also rose to 22,465 after 398 more patients recovered from the respiratory illness, while the death toll climbed to 58 with 1,831 new fatalities.

There are also 43,160 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 90.1% of which are mild, 9.1% are asymptomatic, 0.4% are severe, and 0.4% are in critical condition.

The DOH said figures reported on Sunday were based on data submitted by 74 out of the 84 operational laboratories.

The department also removed 89 duplicate cases from the total tally of infections.

As of July 18, the Philippines had 67 certified polymerase chain reaction facilities and 22 GeneXpert laboratories that had tested a total of 1,058,764 individuals.

Meanwhile, 47.4% of intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide were occupied while 24.3% of mechanical ventilators were in use. — DVM/KG, GMA News