MANILA, Philippines — The total confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country rose to 19,748 on Wednesday, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 751 additional cases.
Of the new cases, 221 were classified as “fresh cases” or those validated within the past three days, while the other 530 are “late cases” or those recorded at least four days ago but were only validated recently.
The total recoveries currently stand at 4,153 after 90 more were able to recover from the severe respiratory disease.
However, the country’s death count rose to 974 after eight more patients succumbed to COVID-19.
Last week, the DOH started classifying “fresh” and “late” cases so as to dispel the illusion that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, just as Metro Manila shifted to less stringent quarantine protocols.
It further clarified that the surge in daily cases is due to the laboratories’ testing capacity and “aggressive efforts” to reduce the validation backlogs.
The classification of fresh and late cases is only temporary until laboratories clear up their data backlogs, the DOH said.