2,122 new COVID-19 cases push Philippines’ total to over 456,000

The Philippines’ tally of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases rose to 456,562 on Friday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 2,122 new infections, breaking the country’s 18-day streak of fewer than 2,000 cases reported daily, as four laboratories failed to submit data on time.

According to the DOH, the areas with the highest number of new cases were Quezon City with 160, Rizal with 105, Bulacan with 91, Makati City with 83, and Davao City with 79.

Meanwhile, 778 more patients have also recovered from the illness, bringing the total to 420,666, while 25 new fatalities brought the death toll to 8,875.

Seven duplicate cases were also removed from the total case count while nine cases previously tagged as recovered were reclassified as fatalities.

Of the 27,021 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 84% are mild, 8% are asymptomatic, 2.5% are severe, and 5.1% are in critical condition.

Data from the DOH showed that 58% of the country’s intensive care unit beds are available while 80% of the mechanical ventilators are ready for use.

The DOH and the OCTA Research Team earlier said a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is very likely during and after the holiday season.

Hospitals and local government units have been ordered to prepare for the surge of cases. The DOH has also called on LGUs to ensure the availability of isolation beds in temporary treatment and monitoring facilities. — RSJ, GMA News