FROM 12,067 last Tuesday, 13,573 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were reported by the Department of Health yesterday as the total number of infections in the country raced to the grim two million mark, along with 228 more deaths.
In its latest bulletin, the DOH said the total number of cases in the country now stands at 1,883,088, just 116,912 short of two million, while the toll rose to 32,492 for a case fatality rate of 1.73.
The DOH said the new cases do not include figures from seven laboratories that did not submit data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System.
Active cases were down slightly to 125,378 from 127,703 last Tuesday, with 95.9 percent mild cases, 1.3 percent asymptomatic cases, 1.2 percent severe cases, 0.9 percent moderate cases, and 0.6 percent critical cases.
The DOH also reported 15,820 more recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 1,725,218.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno was discharged yesterday from the Sta. Ana Hospital where he was confined after he tested positive for the deadly virus last Aug. 15But he still needs to undergo three to four days of quarantine.
“This is the eleventh day of the mayor’s illness. Fifth day that he was asymptomatic. But he will still have to isolate for more or less three days though he was tagged as recovered already,” Manila PIO chief Julius Leonen said.
Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna also tested positive for the virus last Aug. 8 and was discharged from the same hospital on Aug. 19.
Vice President Leni Robredo has gone on self-quarantine anew after being exposed last Tuesday to an individual who eventually tested positive for COVID-19.
“I have been exposed to somebody from our office who tested positive today. While we have been religiously following health protocols, I was a very close contact,” she said in a Facebook post.
Robredo said she started her quarantine on Tuesday because the person developed symptoms and was confirmed positive yesterday.
Robredo said she will undergo an RT-PCR test on Monday, the seventh day after her last exposure and even if the test turns out negative, protocol still requires her to continue the quarantine until the 14th day from her last exposure.
“Unfortunately, I need to have myself excused in the activities I have committed myself to.
Apologies to everyone who may be affected by this. I will continue to work from home during the entire period,” she said.
She also had to undergo quarantine last April 17 and August 1 after being exposed to persons who were COVID positive.
Dr. Elenita Binay, wife of former Vice President Jejomar Binay, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to her daughter, Sen. Nancy Binay.
“Although my mom is experiencing mild symptoms, my family and I are asking for your continued prayers for her full recovery — and as always, prayer is our first line of defense,” Binay said, adding her father tested negative for the virus.
Binay said she is now on a self-quarantine after close contact with her mother the past days.
A policewoman detailed at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame is the latest PNP fatality due to COVID-19, bringing to 101 the total number of police personnel who have died from the deadly virus.
The 35-year-old policewomen tested positive last Aug. 5, was admitted to a hospital due to difficulty in breathing on Aug. 14 and died on Aug. 23, according to PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar.
The policewoman, with a rank of corporal, was assigned with the PNP Directorate for Operations and had not been vaccinated yet.
The PNP Health Service reported 129 new COVID-19 cases in the police force, bringing to 33,702 the total infections in the PNP, 1,787 of them active cases and 31,814 recoveries.
The PNP said 88 percent of the entire 220,000 -strong police force have been vaccinated. — With Ashzel Hachero, Wendell Vigilia, and Victor Reyes
