FOR the fourth straight day, over 10,000 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were reported by the Department of Health while 150 more patients lost their fight against the dreaded virus.
In its latest bulletin, the DOH said the number of infections in the country rose to 936,133, counting the 10,098 new cases reported yesterday, while the death toll climbed to 15,960, just 40 short of breaching the 16,000 mark, for a case fatality rate of 1.70 percent.
There were 11,429 new cases last Thursday, 10,726 cases last Friday, and 11,101 last Saturday.
The independent OCTA Research Team had projected that COVID cases in the country would likely breach the one million mark by the end of the month.
There were 72,607 more recoveries, a new record high, surpassing the previous high of 55,204 last April 11. In all, the number of survivors climbed to 779,084.
But there remained 141,089 active cases, of which 96.7 percent are mild cases, 1.7 percent asymptomatic cases, 0.7 percent severe cases, 0.5 percent critical cases, and 0.43 percent moderate cases.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it received no new reports from its 94 embassies and consulates of any overseas Filipino infected with the deadly virus or any death.
The confirmed COVID cases among Filipinos in 91 countries and territories remained at 18,141, with 1,115 fatalities and 11,142 survivors.
Two more policemen have died of COVID-19, bringing to 51 the number of PNP personnel claimed by the deadly virus as of Saturday night.
One of them, a 40-year-old staff sergeant, was assigned with the Mountain Province provincial police office. He died on Saturday.
The second, with a rank of Executive Master Sergeant, died Wednesday last week but his death was reported only on Saturday. The 49-year-old cop was assigned with the Sarangani provincial police office.
The PNP reported 125 more COVID-19 infections in the police force, raising the number of lawmen who have contracted the virus at 18,531.
The PNP said 16,204 personnel have recovered while there are still 2,276 active cases.
Former President Joseph Estrada’s condition continued to improve two days after he was brought back to the intensive care unit with a lung infection.
“I am thankful that my father continues to improve. He is now off blood pressure support medicines and his white cell count is improving as an indication that his infection is responding to the treatment,” Estrada’s son, former senator Jinggoy, said of his 83-year-old father on Sunday.
He said his father’s kidney is also “functioning better today,” prompting his doctors to start to decrease the oxygen support.
But the former president remained at the regular ICU (non-COVID) of the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center in San Juan. — With Ashzel Hachero and Victor Reyes
