FOR the second straight day, less than 5,000 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were reported by the Department of Health but the death toll neared 19,000 as 94 more patients succumbed to the deadly virus.
In its bulletin yesterday, the DOH said the 4,734 new cases do not include figures from five laboratories that failed to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System last May 10.
Overall, the number of infections in the country rose to 1,118,359 while the death toll climbed to 18,714, just 286 short of reaching the grim milestone of 19,000, for a case fatality rate of 1.67.
Active cases dipped further to 53,214, with 93 percent of them mild cases, 2.4 percent asymptomatic cases, 1.9 percent severe cases, 1.4 percent critical cases, and 1.2 percent moderate cases.
There were 8,312 more recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 1,046,431.
Two more overseas Filipinos tested positive for the deadly virus while one more died, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The number of overseas Filipinos infected with the virus climbed to 18,571 while the death toll rose to 1, 162.
No new recovery was reported. As of May 11, the DFA said 11,366 overseas Filipinos have recovered from the virus.
Convicted drug trafficker Yu Yuk Lai died last Tuesday of complications arising from COVID-19, the Bureau of Corrections said.
BuCor spokesman Gabriel Chaclag said Yu died at the East Avenue Medical Center, where she has been confined since May 4.
“She died at 9:47 Tuesday morning due to acute myocardial infarction and COVID-19 positive critical,” Chaclag said, adding Yu was cremated yesterday morning.
Yu is the latest high-profile inmate of the BuCor to succumb to the deadly virus. The most recent before her was lawyer Richard Cambe, former chief of staff of Sen. Bong Revilla, who had been convicted of plunder in the controversial pork barrel scam case.
Other high-profile BuCor inmates who died due to COVID were former Calauan, Laguna mayor and convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez; convicted carnapper Raymond Dominguez, and Jaybee Sebastian, who testified to the alleged drug links of detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima.
Yu was convicted in 2001 by the Manila Regional Trial Court for drug trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment.
A civilian employee of the Quezon Provincial Police died of COVID-19, bringing to 60 the PNP death toll from the virus.
The 48-year-old male employee went to the Rural Health Unit on May 6 to seek medical assistance for fever and dry cough. He was confined and tested at the hospital.
On May 8, the test showed he is positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, or three days after, he had difficulty breathing even with oxygen support and later died.
The PNP also reported 95 more infections, raising the total number of infections in the police force to 21,416, with 19,920 having recovered and 1,436 still active cases. — With Ashzel Hachero and Victor Reyes
