Philippine COVID-19 cases near 450,000; recoveries top 418,000

The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tally reached 449,400 on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 1,085 new infections as nine laboratories failed to submit reports on time.

Quezon City tallied 103 new cases, followed by Rizal with 46, Makati with 44, Manila with 43, and Pasig with 39.

The total number of recoveries also rose to 418,687 after 9,269 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease.

The DOH reports time-based recoveries every Sunday under “Oplan Recovery,” in which asymptomatic and mild cases are re-tagged as recovered after completing a 14-day quarantine without developing symptoms.

The death toll also climbed to 8,733 with three new fatalities, the lowest recorded since July 21.

The remaining 21,980 patients are active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine.

Meanwhile, experts from the OCTA Research group warned that Metro Manila's COVID-19 reproduction rate had increased in recent weeks, and would with “certainty" rise above 1 from the present .99 within the next two days.

A reproduction number higher than 1 indicates an upward trend in new infections.

In response, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año vowed stricter enforcement of health protocols during the holiday season. — DVM, GMA News