PH’s active COVID-19 cases now at 49,951 with 4,700 new infections

CROWD DRAWER Vaccination sites offering the U.S.-made Pfizer jabs are drawing large crowds, such as this one outside the Prince Hotel in Ermita, Manila. Authorities have warned against potential superspreader events as the government ramps up the rollout of vaccines. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The country now has 49,951 active COVID-19 cases, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,700 new infections on Wednesday.

This brings the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country to 1,159,071. Active cases represent 4.3 percent of this number. Ninety-five percent of the active cases are mild and asymptomatic.

Meanwhile, the DOH also reported an additional 6,986 recoveries, raising the number of patients who have recovered to 1,089,613, or 94 percent of the case count.

The DOH also recorded 136 new fatalities, bringing the number of patients who have died to 19,507, or 1.68 percent of the tally.

On positivity rate, 13.8 percent of the 30,829 tested individuals were found positive for the virus.

According to the DOH, 17 duplicate entries, including 10 recoveries and one death, were removed from the case count. Eighty-eight cases that were initially tagged as recoveries were also reclassified as deaths after validation.

The DOH said all laboratories were operational on May 17, while seven laboratories were not able to submit their data.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the seven non-reporting laboratories contribute on average 4.4 percent of samples tested and 6 percent of COVID-19 positive individuals, according to the health agency.

/MUF