AS expected, the number of infections in the country breached the 800,000 mark yesterday as the Department of Health reported 8,355 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases while 10 more patients succumbed to the deadly virus.
The number of new infections was the lowest after over 11,000 new cases were reported from Friday to Sunday but the DOH attributed the decrease to the number of laboratories that were in operation during the recent holidays and not an indication the surge in new cases was being contained due to the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in the Metro Manila plus bubble.
“The reduction in cases reported today is due to having less laboratories in operation during the recent holidays,” the DOH said, noting that of 239 licensed laboratories nationwide, only 219 laboratories conducted tests on April 1; 207 conducted tests on April 2; and 216 conducted tests on April 3.
The number of active cases climbed to 143,726, accounting for 17.9 percent of cases in the country.
The total number of infections rose to 803,398 while the death toll climbed to 13,435 for a case fatality rate of 1.67 percent.
There were 145 more recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 646,237. The DOH said this means that 80.4 percent of COVID patients have recovered.
Of the active cases, 97.5 percent are mild cases, 1.1 percent are asymptomatic cases, 0.6 percent are severe cases, 0.5 percent are critical cases, and 0.34 percent are moderate cases.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said 17 more overseas Filipinos have contracted the deadly virus, bringing the total number of infections to 16,423. Of these, 9,078 are in the Middle East and African regions followed by 3,278 in Europe, 3,161 in Asia and the Pacific and 906 in the Americas.
The DFA said there were no new reports of death or recoveries coming from the country’s 94 embassies and consulates.
The death toll among overseas Filipinos stands at 1,049, with 675 in the Middle East and African regions, 223 in the Americas, 130 in Europe and 21 in Asia and the Pacific.
The Antipolo government said COVID emergency rooms and non-COVID ERs at the Rizal Provincial Hospital System Antipolo Annex II will be temporarily closed for a week after 20 medical frontliners working at the facility tested positive for the deadly virus. — With Ashzel Hachero and Christian Oineza
