TOTAL AT 616K

Philippines reports 5,000 new COVID-19 cases, highest in 7 months

The Philippines on Saturday reported another record high of 5,000 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, the highest reported in seven months, bringing the total tally to 616,611.

This, even as seven laboratories failed to submit data on time.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), this brought the total active cases in the country to 56,679, the highest number of active cases recorded this year.

Among these, 92.3 percent are mild, 4.3 percent are asymptomatic, 1.4 percent are severe, and 1.4 percent are in critical condition.

Meanwhile, total recoveries climbed to 547,166 after 281 more patients recovered from the illness while the death toll rose to 12,766 with 72 new reported fatalities.

The Health Department also announced that six duplicate cases were removed from the total case count.

“Moreover, 23 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation,” the DOH said.

Data from the DOH also showed that 54 percent of the country’s intensive care unit beds are available while 73 percent of the mechanical ventilators are ready for use.

Japanese health authorities have detected a new COVID-19 variant from a traveler from the Philippines.

Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases said the variant contains N501Y and E484K, two mutations of concern that had been linked to increased contagiousness and lowered vaccine efficacy, respectively.

DOH technical working group expert-member Anna Ong-Lim earlier said that the new coronavirus variant, dubbed the P.3 variant, is unique to the Philippines.