Tawi-Tawi lists 61 new COVID-19 cases, highest single-day spike in BARMM

COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao, Philippines — The number of COVID-19 cases in far-flung Tawi-Tawi province spiked wildly on Friday with 61 infections, the highest single-day increase so far in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

In a bulletin released on Saturday, the BARMM health ministry said the cases were recorded in the capital town of Bongao, raising the province’s total to 72.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Tawi-Tawi only had 11 cases, the health ministry noted.

In other areas of the region, six more cases recorded as of Friday, raising the total count to 895 of which 163 are active.

Lanao del Sur, which includes Marawi City, has the most number of COVID-19 patients in the region at 455, followed by Maguindanao with 119, Basilan, which includes Lamitan City, with 110, Tawi-Tawi with 72, and Sulu with 19.

Also on Friday, four more COVID-19 patients died, raising the death toll to 33 since March 18.

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