ONE hundred nine more patients died while 8,162 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were reported by the Department of Health yesterday as the number of infections in the country rose to 997,523, just 2,477 short of breaching the grim mark of 1 million.
Earlier in the month, the independent OCTA Research Team projected that the country may hit 1 million COVID-19 cases by the end of April.
The Philippines has the second highest number of COVID cases in Southeast Asia, topped only by Indonesia which has 1,632,248 cases as of Saturday, April 24.
In its latest bulletin, the DOH said the death toll from the deadly virus has gone up to 16,783 for a case fatality rate of 1.68 percent.
There were 20,509 new recoveries, meaning the number of survivors has risen to 903,665.
The DOH said this means that 90.6 percent of COVID patients have recovered.
The number of active cases dipped to 77,075, with 95.5 percent mild cases, 1.5 percent asymptomatic cases, 1.2 percent severe cases, 1 percent critical cases, and 0.84 percent moderate cases.
The Department of Foreign Affairs did not receive any COVID reports from its 94 embassies and consulates worldwide involving overseas Filipinos.
As of April 24, the DFA said 18,237 Filipinos in 91 countries and territories have been infected with the deadly virus while 1,126 have died, 732 of them in the Middle East and African regions, the most for any region.
The DFA also recorded 11,190 survivors.
A police official has died of COVID-19, bringing to 53 the number of policemen who have died from the deadly virus, PNP chief Debold Sinas said.
Sinas said the fatality, a 54-year-old lieutenant assigned at the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, was hospitalized on April 14 after testing positive for the virus. He died last Saturday.
“The entire PNP would like to extend our condolences to the bereaved family of the police officer and assure them of financial assistance and benefits,” Sinas said.
Sinas reminded policemen, along with families, to “double your protection against this virus.”
The Administrative Support for Covid-19 Task Force reported 141 new COVID-19 infections in the police force, bringing to 19,536 the total number of policemen who have contracted the disease as of Saturday night.
Of the 19,536 total, 17,418 have recovered while 2,065 are active cases. — With Ashzel Hachero and Victor Reyes
