Philippine COVID-19 cases cross 462,000; deaths top 9,000

The Philippine's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caseload increased to 462,815 on Tuesday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 1,314 new infections as 10 laboratories failed to submit reports on time.

Quezon City recorded the highest number of new cases at 93, followed by Rizal with 89, Benguet with 78, Bulacan with 61, and Davao City with 60.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 9,021 with 66 new fatalities.

“Moreover, there were 31 cases that were previously reported as recovered but after final validation, they were deaths,” the DOH added.

Total recoveries also climbed to 429,419 after 247 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease.

The remaining 24,375 are active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine.

An independent team of experts earlier urged stricter border controls as they sounded the alarm on a fresh surge of infections amid the holiday season.

“Together with more effective screening and other controls in our ports and airports, this will be crucial to supporting the government’s plans to expand domestic as well international travel in the country,” the OCTA Research group said in its latest report.

However, the experts also said the uptick in cases was still in its “nascent stage” in Metro Manila and “can still be mitigated or even reversed. But to achieve this, we need to act now and act as one collectively." — LDF, GMA News