A DAY after a new single-day record of 18,332 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases was set, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 12,067 new infections and 303 more deaths that raised the toll to 32,264.
In its latest bulletin yesterday, the DOH said the new cases do not include figures from 10 laboratories that failed to submit data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System (CDRS) last August 22.
Overall infections in the country rose to 1,869,691 while active cases dipped to 127,703 from 130,350 last Monday, with 95.5 percent mild cases, 1.7 percent asymptomatic cases, 1.2 percent severe cases, 0.9 percent moderate cases, and 0.6 percent critical cases.
While there were lower new cases, the DOH said this does not indicate that things are getting better.
“Based on our projections, we can see that cases will still increase for these coming days or maybe weeks,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a radio interview. “We can really see that cases will still climb for these initial weeks.”
Vergeire was seconded by the independent OCTA Research group, which said the situation is far from getting better.
“Cases will continue to rise as we have mentioned before. It will still get worse before it gets better,” OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said in a television interview.
“Supposing the peak will happen next week, hopefully, we will start to see a downward trend from then, in the NCR and also in the Philippines,” added David.
The DOH also reported 14,565 more recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 1,709,724.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said 946 overseas Filipinos were infected with the deadly virus last week while 35 more died.
The number of Filipinos abroad who have infected with the virus climbed to 22,713 while the death toll rose to 1,367.
The DFA reported 205 more recoveries, bringing the number of overseas Filipinos who survived the virus at 12,808.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is stable more than a week after he was taken to the Sta. Ana Hospital after getting infected with the COVID-19 virus.
Sta. Ana Hospital Director Dr. Grace Padilla, in a medical bulletin, said Moreno is “comfortable, with a good appetite and stable vital signs.”
The city health department reported that as of August 23, there were 1,526 active cases in Manila, five new deaths, and 240 more recoveries.
The death toll as of August 23 stood at 1,387. — With Ashzel Hachero
