Philippines’ COVID-19 tally exceeds 584,000 with 2,452 new infections

The Philippines’ tally of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases rose to 584,667 on Thursday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,452 new infections as four laboratories failed to submit data on time.

According to the DOH, 266 more patients have recovered from the illness, bringing the total to 535,037.

Meanwhile, the death toll climbed to 12,404 with 15 new fatalities.

The DOH said eight duplicate cases were also removed from the total case count while five cases previously tagged as recovered were reclassified as deaths after the final validation.

Of the remaining 37,226 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 90.1% are mild, 4.9% are asymptomatic, 2.1% are severe, and 2.1% are in critical condition.

Data from the DOH also showed that 59% of the country’s intensive care unit beds are available while 78% of the mechanical ventilators are ready for use.

The Philippines is expected to receive 487,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by AstraZeneca on Thursday evening.

However, there is no rollout date yet for the vaccines as the government is waiting for the recommendation of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group on which sector the vaccines could be best utilized.—AOL, GMA News