MORE than 500 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were reported by the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday, alongside nearly 180 additional deaths.
Based on its December 9 Case Bulletin, the DOH listed 562 new cases, for a nationwide positivity rate of 1.6 percent out of the 33,295 tests conducted last December 7.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country is now 2,835,996.
Among the confirmed cases, the DOH said there were 176 new deaths among COVID-19 patients, bringing to 49,936 the total number of deaths due to the virus.
The case fatality rate stood at 1.76 for COVID-19 cases.
On the other hand, the DOH reported 882 COVID-19 patients have newly recovered, bringing the number of survivors to 2,773,891.
This means that 97.8 percent of the COVID-19 patients in the country have been able to recover.
Less the deaths and recoveries, the DOH said there are still 12,169 active cases in the country, which account for 0.4 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the country.
Of the active cases, 4,838 are mild cases, 3,857 are moderate cases, 2,177 are severe cases, 851 are asymptomatic cases, and 446 are critical cases.
The COVID-19 toll from overseas showed 30 more Filipinos got infected while five others succumbed to the virus the previous week.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the number of overseas Filipinos infected with the virus since the pandemic began last year has climbed to 24,222.
The tally is as follows: 13,142 in the Middle East and Africa; 6,385 in Asia and the Pacific; 3,651 in Europe; and 1,044 in the United States.
The death toll has also risen to 1,443, with most deaths reported in the Middle East and African at 929, from the USA at 254, and Europe and the Asia Pacific Region at 130 each.
Fifty new recoveries were also reported, bringing the number of survivors to 14,356.
Active cases is listed at 8,323 overseas Filipinos.
The DOH said the Philippines remains free from the Omicron variant, based on the latest whole genome sequencing results from the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).
“No Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of concern case was detected from the 48 samples sequenced yesterday, December 8,” said the DOH in a statement on Thursday.
What was detected, said the health department, are more Delta (B.1.617.2/India) variant cases.
“Of the 48 samples sequenced, 38 (79.17%) are Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases; while the rest had non-VOC lineages or had no lineages detected,” noted the DOH.
Of the 38 additional Delta variant cases, 31 are local cases and seven are returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
Among the ROFs, two had travel histories from Turkey while the other five came from Jordan (1), Mexico (1), Netherlands (1), Panama (1), and Peru (1).
Of the 31 local cases, on the other hand, six cases had indicated addresses in Cagayan Valley, five from the Cordillera Administrative Region, three cases each from Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Soccsksargen, and the National Capital Region; two cases each from Central Luzon and Calabarzon, and one case from Davao Region.
Based on the case line list, one local case is still active, while the 27 local and all seven ROF cases have been tagged as recovered. Three local cases are currently being verified as to their outcomes.
The additional positive samples, according to the DOH, bring the total Delta variant cases in the country to 7,886.
The DOH said additional ROF and local cases from areas with case increases or clustering will be prioritized in the next genome sequencing run. — With Ashzel Hachero
