Philippine COVID-19 cases top 513,000; recoveries soar to 475,612

The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tally rose to 513,619 on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 1,949 new infections as five laboratories failed to submit reports on time.

Davao City registered the highest number of new cases at 99, followed by Quezon City with 98, Cavite with 74, Baguio City with 73, and Leyte with 63.

Total recoveries also soared to 475,612 after 7,729 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease, while the death toll climbed to 10,242 with 53 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 27,765 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH was mulling a recommendation to defer the expansion of the age groups allowed to leave their homes amid the pandemic.

The development was due to the discovery that minors were among the carriers of the new B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

The DOH and the government’s inter-agency COVID-19 task force also recommended tightening restrictions in the Cordillera Administrative Region.  — DVM, GMA News