2,291 new COVID-19 cases push Philippines' tally over 324,000

The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tally leapt to 324,762 on Monday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 2,291 new infections.

Metro Manila still logged the highest number of newly reported cases at 825, followed by Batangas with 140, Laguna with 128, Rizal with 114, and Cavite with 102.

Eighty-seven percent or 1,992 of the newly reported cases caught COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

The DOH said 17 laboratories failed to submit reports on time.

Total recoveries also rose to 273,123 after 87 more patients recovered from the respiratory illness, while the death toll climbed to 5,840 with 64 new fatalities.

“Moreover, 25 cases previously tagged as recovered were reclassified as deaths after final validation,” the DOH added.

The remaining 45,799 are active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 85.6 percent of which are mild, 9.2 percent are asymptomatic, 1.6 percent are severe, and 3.6 percent are in critical condition.

As of October 4, 46 percent of COVID-19 intensive care unit beds nationwide were occupied and 22 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said that the government was not targeting zero new COVID-19 cases but only a lower number of infections, admitting that “this virus is gonna stay with us. Let us not deceive ourselves.” 

Meanwhile, the government’s inter-agency COVID-19 task force backed the further reopening of the economy amid the pandemic. —LDF, GMA News