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155 COVID-19 deaths each day recorded in August –DOH
By VIRGIL LOPEZ,GMA NewsAt least 155 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in the Philippines each day in August, the highest since the pandemic began early last year.
In an update on Monday, Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the 155 deaths surpassed the previous record set in April (135).
The DOH earlier said the country posted an average of 131 COVID-19 deaths each day
last month when the country experienced an uptick in cases due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.“At the national level, deaths have been increasing since the last week of July and the new peak was seen in mid-August. With the incoming deaths report, current numbers are still expected to increase,” Vergeire said in an online press conference.
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“We cannot attribute it to just one factor and the most plausible explanation, for now, is the number of deaths is increasing because the cases are increasing also.”
Data also showed that the country registered 99 deaths a day from September 1 to 19.
“We are closely monitoring Regions 3, 4A, the National Capital Region, Regions 7, 2, 6, 1, and CAR as these regions posted the highest total deaths for the first two weeks of September. Their average daily deaths also show an increasing trend since August,” Vergeire said.
Still, the country’s case fatality rate (1.68%) was lower than the previous year (2.47%) as of September 19, “despite cases and deaths increasing by more than twofold this year,” she said.
The Philippines logged 36,934 deaths as of September 20. — DVM, GMA News