3,375 new cases push Philippines’ COVID-19 tally to 276,289

The Philippines’ COVID-19 caseload increased to 276,289 on Thursday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 3,375 new infections, marking the tenth straight day in which more than 3,000 new cases were reported.

Metro Manila still logged the highest number of new infections at 963, followed by Bulacan with 448, Cavite with 274, Negros Occidental with 153, and Batangas with 119.

Seventy-five percent or 2,519 of the newly reported cases caught COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries rose to 208,096 after 317 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease.

The death toll also climbed to 4,785 with 53 new fatalities, 36 of whom died in September, 13 in August, and four in July.

“Moreover, there were 67 cases that were previously reported as recovered but after final validation, they were deaths (11) and active (56) cases,” the DOH added.

The remaining 63,408 are active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 87.5 percent of which are mild, 8.7 percent are asymptomatic, 1.1 percent are severe, and 2.7 percent are in critical condition.

The DOH said 46 percent of COVID-19 intensive care unit beds nationwide were occupied and 27 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use as of September 16.

The government earlier suspended the reduction of social distancing in public transport from 1 meter to 0.75 meters pending President Rodrigo Duterte’s final directive on the controversial matter.

The DOH previously maintained that keeping a distance of at least 1 meter from others is ideal. -MDM, GMA News