PH records 1,408 COVID-19 recoveries as total cases rise to 9,684

FILE — Health workers wearing protective suits hold a sign beside a 16-day-old baby who recovered from COVID-19 is held by his father at the National Children’s Hospital in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippine. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines —Ninety-three more patients in the country were able to recover from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total of recoveries to 1,408 as of Tuesday.

The Department of Health (DOH) also recorded 199 new confirmed cases of the disease, which now totals to 9,684.

Eighty-seven percent or 173 of the new cases were located in Metro Manila, the health department also noted.

The country’s death toll is already at 637 with 14 new fatalities.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDOHgov/photos/a.812487448762509/3289012854443277/?type=3&theater

Globally, the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 3.5 million individuals and has killed more than 250,000.

Over 1.1 million people, meanwhile, were able to recover from COVID-19.

A local epidemiology expert earlier said the COVID-19 curve in the Philippines is flattening, citing the recent decline in the number of new cases and deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

The country’s case doubling time has lengthened to “around four days” while the mortality rate shows a “more dramatic” slow down as it approaches the seven-day rate, according to Dr. John Wong, president and founder of think tank EpiMetrics, Inc.

He also pointed out that flattening of the curve is “more evident” in Metro Manila where the vast majority of the COVID-19 cases nationwide are concentrated.