3,544 new cases bring Philippines’ COVID-19 tally to 269,407

The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caseload increased to 269,407 on Tuesday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 3,544 new infections, marking the eighth consecutive day in which more than 3,000 new cases were reported.

Metro Manila still recorded the highest number of new infections at 690, followed by Cavite with 305, Rizal with 201, Negros Occidental with 173, and Bulacan with 98.

Ninety percent or 3,177 of the newly reported cases caught COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries rose to 207,352 after 395 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease.

The death toll also climbed to 4,663 with 34 new fatalities.

"Moreover, there were 538 cases that were previously reported as recovered but after final validation, they were deaths (2) and active (536) cases," the DOH said.

The other 57,392 are active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 87.9 percent of which are mild, 8 percent are asymptomatic, 1.2 percent are severe, and 2.9 percent are in critical condition.

As of September 14, the Philippines had 122 licensed laboratories that had tested over 2.9 million individuals while 48 percent of COVID-19 intensive care unit beds nationwide were occupied and 26 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a Department of Justice-led task force found that several executives of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation were negligent in their duties. 

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, ex-officio chairman of the state health insurer’s board, was not among those who will face charges over the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism mess. —LDF, GMA News