MANILA, Philippines — The new coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 has infected an additional 3,375 individuals in the country, driving the nationwide caseload to 276,289 as of Thursday.
DOH said 63,408 cases from the total tally remain “active” active, of which 87.5 percent are those with mild symptoms; 8.7 percent are asymptomatic; 1.1 percent, in severe condition; and 2.7 percent are patients in critical stage.
Most of the 3,375 new cases were from Metro Manila or the National Capital Region at 963, trailed by Bulacan (448), Cavite (274), Negros Occidental (153), and then Batangas (119), according to DOH.
At least 75 percent of the new cases occurred within the past 14 days, it added.
The agency also reported the recovery of 317 and the death of 53 more people. As of September 17, the country’s total recoveries hit 208,096 while the death toll soared to 4,785.
And after final validation, DOH adjusted anew its data as it removed 20 cases from the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country for being duplicates.
DOH said it is expecting the COVID-19 case count to further rise in the next coming days because 10 laboratories were not able to submit their data to the agency on Wednesday, September 16.
SARS-CoV-2 is the latest strain of coronavirus disease that causes respiratory ailment COVID-19, which was first detected in China’s Wuhan City in Hubei province in late 2019.