New COVID-19 infections in PH reach 5,000; total now at 616,611

MANILA, Philippines — The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has reached 616,611 as 5,000 new infections were recorded, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday. 

The number of new COVID-19 cases is the highest so far in 2021. It was on Aug. 26, 2020, when the DOH reported COVID-19 infections reaching the 5,000-mark, with 5,277 cases. 

Of the total cases, 56,679 are active cases, of which 92.3 percent are mild, 4.3 percent are asymptomatic, 1.4 percent are critical, 1.4 percent are severe and 0.66 percent are moderate. 

Meanwhile, the DOH also reported 281 additional recoveries and 72 additional deaths, bringing the total to 547,166 and 12,766, respectively. 

There were six duplicates, of which four were recoveries, removed from the total case count. 

“In addition, one case was found to have tested negative and has been removed from the total case count,” the DOH said. 

“Moreover, 23 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation,” the DOH added. 

Earlier, the DOH reported the country’s first case of P.1 COVID-19 variant that was first detected in Brazil, as well as additional cases of the B.1.1.7 variant from the United Kingdom and the B.1.351 variant from South Africa. 

/MUF