Philippines’ COVID-19 tally tops 326,000 with 2,093 new cases

The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caseload rose to 326,833 on Tuesday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,093 new infections.

Metro Manila continued to log the highest number of newly reported cases at 557, followed by Cavite with 253, Iloilo with 166, Bulacan with 124, and Batangas with 118.

Eighty-three percent or 1,741 of the latest infections caught COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries rose to 273,313 after 209 more patients recovered from the respiratory illness.

The death toll also climbed to 5,865 with 25 new fatalities.

“Moreover, eight cases previously tagged as recovered were reclassified as deaths after final validation,” the DOH added.

The remaining 47,655 are active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 85.6 percent of which are mild, 9.5 percent are asymptomatic, 1.6 percent are severe, and 3.4 percent are in critical condition.

As of October 5, the Philippines had 141 licensed laboratories that had tested over 3.7 million individuals while 48 percent of COVID-19 intensive care unit beds nationwide were occupied and 24 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday told Congress that the Philippines hired nearly 9,000 additional medical workers to augment the health workforce amid the pandemic. 

He also said that the country secured around P9.91 billion worth of loans and grants for its COVID-19 response.—LDF, GMA News