Philippines posts 8,292 COVID-19 infections, lowest in 6 months

The Philippines on Monday logged 8,292 additional coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, raising the country's total case count to 2,674,814.

According to the Department of Health's tally, the number of new cases is the lowest since April 29, 2021, which reported 8,276 new infections.

With this, the active COVID-19 case tally jumped to 98,894 from Oct. 10 active tally with 90,927.

Of the total active cases, 74.4% were mild, 15% were asymptomatic, 3.2% were severe, and 1.3% were in critical condition.

Also, 36  Filipinos died due to the virus, increasing the fatality tally to 39,660.

Data from DOH also indicated that total recoveries reached 2,536,260, including 302 new ones.

Meanwhile, the positivity rate in the country was at 16.5% which is still higher than the international standard of less than 5%.

After final validation, DOH modified the total case count by removing 40 duplicates, including 32 recoveries. It also reclassified 21 recoveries into deaths.

Two laboratories failed to submit their data to COVID-19 Document Repository System (CDRS), the health department said. These labs contribute 0.2% of samples tested and 0.4% of positive individuals, DOH also said.

As for ICU bed utilization, 69% of the country’s intensive care unit beds are utilized, while 50% of the mechanical ventilators are also in use.

In Metro Manila, 67% of the ICU beds are in use, while 50% of the ventilators are utilized.

Both ICU beds in the national and metropolis level are classified as moderate risk much lower from the previous high risk.

NCR bed utilization

The total bed utilization in the National Capital Region is on a decline and is currently at 53%, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said total dedicated beds increased from 8,153 to 9,144 from July 1 to October 8 for non-ICU patients while beds for ICU patients increased from 1,123 to 1,523.

Vergeire, however, said that the occupancy rate of the total dedicated beds also increased by 65% from 3,362 to 5,538.

Meanwhile, ICU beds are currently classified at moderate risk after occupancy  increased by 126% from 450 to 1,018.

“The dedicated ICU beds have increased since August but has now been decreasing in the previous week,” Vergeire said.

The DOH earlier flagged the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and the Zamboanga Peninsula at high risk for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has logged a total of 2,674,814 confirmed cases.—With Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News