Philippine COVID-19 cases near 488,000; recoveries hit 458,198

The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tally rose to 487,690 on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 1,906 new infections as five laboratories failed to submit reports on time.

Quezon City tallied the highest number of new cases at 121, followed by Benguet with 84, Davao City with 82, Cavite with 79, and Bulacan with 75.

Total recoveries also rose to 458,198 after 8,592 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease, while the death toll climbed to 9,405 with eight new fatalities.

The DOH reports time-based recoveries every Sunday as part of “Oplan Recovery,” where asymptomatic and mild cases are re-tagged as recovered after completing 14 days of quarantine without developing symptoms.

There are also 20,087 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine.

Manila’s Ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, earlier said the Philippine embassy was working to speed up the delivery of Pfizer vaccines.

Romualdez said the vaccines could arrive in April at the soonest, earlier than the expected midyear delivery.

Meanwhile, the DOH advised devotees who celebrated the feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo on Saturday to go into isolation if they had symptoms of COVID-19.

Thousands of attendees flocked to the Quiapo Church, many of whom ignored social distancing rules. — DVM, GMA News