MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines logged over 2,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the second straight day, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,099 new infections on Monday, bringing the nationwide tally to 46,333.
Of the additional cases, 1,258 cases were “fresh” cases or those that were validated and released within three days, while 841 are considered “late” cases.
The agency also reported 243 new recoveries and 6 new deaths, pushing their totals to 12,185 and 1,303 respectively.
Currently, there are 32,845 active COVID-19 cases nationwide.
The DOH’s latest case bulletin showed that 998 or nearly half of the new cases were recorded in Metro Manila, 466 came from Central Visayas, 541 were spread across other regions in the country, while the remaining 94 are overseas Filipinos who recently returned to the country.
The DOH has attributed the recent surge in new coronavirus cases in the country to increased contact among the population as a result of the relaxation of quarantine measures.
It then reiterated its appeal to the public to help stem the rise in infections by observing preventive measures such as wearing protective masks, physical distancing, and frequent hand-washing.
According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, over 11.4 million people worldwide have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19, since it was first reported in Hubei, China late last year.