NEW coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases plunged to 5,389 yesterday from 6,426 last Monday but this was due to the failure of 16 laboratories to submit data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System (CDRS) last June 13.
In its latest bulletin, the Department of Health said 118 more patients succumbed to the deadly virus, raising the death toll to 22,963, just 37 short of the 23,000 mark, for a case fatality rate of 1.73 while the number of infections in the country climbed to 1,327,431.
Active cases stood at 58,063, just slight lower from the 59,096 recorded last Monday, with 91.8 percent mild cases, 3.8 percent asymptomatic cases, 1.8 percent severe cases, 1.3 percent critical cases, and 1.3 percent moderate cases.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said seven more Filipinos abroad have tested positive for the deadly virus, raising to 20,274 the number of overseas Pinoys who have been sickened by the virus.
There were two new fatalities, raising the death toll among overseas Filipinos to 1,219.
Most of the cases and deaths were recorded in the Middle East and African regions with 11, 531 and 812, respectively.
The Americas remained the region with the lowest number of Filipinos who have contracted the deadly virus with 986 cases but has the second highest death toll at 244.
The DFA reported no new recoveries. As of Monday, 12,085 overseas Filipinos have survived the virus.
Meanwhile, some 123 persons deprived or liberty (PDLs) or inmates and 13 jail officers from the Puerto Princesa City jail in Palawan have tested positive for COVID-19, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said.
BJMP spokesman Chief Insp. Xavier Solda said the inmates initially tested after being given an antigen test. RT-PCR testing confirmed that 14 inmates were indeed positive while the rest were still in the process undergoing RT-PCR testing.
Solda said one female inmate in a jail, who initially tested positive, was brought to a hospital for confirmatory test, which proved she was indeed positive for the virus.
“After discovering the first case in that facility, we isolated our PDLs who were with her in the same cell and contact tracing is ongoing,” said Solda.
Solda said the Puerto Princesa City jail has been strict in implementing health protocols to prevent infection, thus “part of the BJMP’s ongoing investigation is to determine how COVID-19 entered inside (the jail).”
Solda said COVID cases in Palawan have been on the rise over the past three months, adding there are COVID cases in nearly communities.
As of June 15, Solda said 3,434 inmates have tested positive for the deadly virus, with 152 still active cases and 33 deaths. There are 117,489 inmates under the care of the BJMP throughout the country. — With Ashzel Hachero and Victor Reyes
