A DAY after a record high of over 10,000 new cases, the Department of Health reported 9,296 more new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections yesterday and 124,680 active cases on top of five more deaths.
This doesn’t mean the surge in new cases is slowing down, however, because the latest figures don’t include data from nine of the 179 COVID laboratories accredited by the DOH.
Last Monday, the DOH reported 10,016 new cases, a new record high in the country, but this didn’t include data from three laboratories.
In its latest bulletin, the health department said total infections in the country have reached 741,181 while the death toll rose to 13,191 for a case fatality rate of 1.78 percent.
There were 103 more recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 603,310. The DOH said this means that 81.4 percent of patients have recovered.
Of the active cases, 96 percent are mild cases, 2.3 percent are asymptomatic cases, 0.7 percent are severe cases, 0.6 percent are critical cases, and 0.39 percent are moderate cases.
Seventy-one more overseas Filipinos have tested positive for the deadly virus, bringing the total to 16,148, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The DFA also reported 49 new recoveries, raising the total number of recoveries to 9,792, while the death toll rose to 1,048 after one new death was reported.
Sixty-six of the 71 new cases, according to the DFA “comes after a report submitted by one country in the Asia Pacific region.”
Majority of COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos remained in the Middle East and African regions which had so far registered 8,888 cases and 674 deaths, followed by Europe with 3,275 cases and 130 deaths.
The Asia Pacific region reported a total 3,084 with 21 deaths.
The Americas had the least number of COVID-19 cases among Filipinos with 901 cases but the second highest death toll with 223.
The DFA also said that close to 400,000 overseas Filipinos have been repatriated to the country more than a year after it started the repatriation program amid the pandemic.
“The arrival of 3,363 overseas Filipinos this week brings the total number of repatriated Filipinos to 397,468 as we work non-stop in ensuring that stranded Filipinos abroad make it home safely,” the DFA said.
Of these, 292,296 are land-based workers while 105,172 are seafarers.
The repatriates include Filipinos stranded due to travel restrictions, undocumented workers, victims of trafficking, special medical flights and those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
