PH’s COVID-19 deaths on a decline for June — DOH

Children run past used caskets at a crematorium facility in Manila on April 29, 2020. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s number of COVID-19 deaths for the month of June is on a decline, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Alethea de Guzman said the country reported a total of 720 deaths from June 1 to 14 with a daily death average of 51 cases. This is much lower than the May 2021 total of 3,000 deaths or an average of 97 deaths daily.

“We have reported 720 deaths and we are halfway through the month, this is much less than the 3,000 that was reported in May but we want to push it down even more,” she said in an online forum.

The peak of the monthly death toll was in April with 3,563 deaths reported or 119 deaths per day.

While the country’s death count is in decline, the COVID-19 cases nationwide have shown a steady rise, with regions outside NCR Plus contributing to the case increase, according to the Health Department.

The Philippines on Monday reported 1,322,053 new coronavirus cases, including 59,096 active cases, 1,240,112 recoveries, and 22,845 fatalities, according to DOH.

/MUF