COVID-19 kills 113 more patients; PH’s death toll now at 32,841

(FILE) Workers are finding themselves busier than ever at New Life Crematorium in Biñan City in Laguna, where families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 have to wait for at least two days to secure a slot. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Another 113 patients have died of COVID-19, taking the country’s coronavirus death toll to 32,841 as of Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The deaths account for 1.71 percent of all the 1,916,461 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country since the pandemic started last year.

The DOH Epidemiology Bureau earlier said deaths triggered by the disease are increasing in August, but the proportion of fatalities among the confirmed cases this year is not higher than last year despite more cases now being recorded.

The DOH unit said that from the record-high of 135 average daily deaths in April, deaths went down to 123 per day in May, 105 in June, and 94 in July. From August 1 to 25, the average number of deaths per day is already at 109.

By reporting date, the DOH has already logged a total of 4,657 deaths based on previous COVID-19 case bulletins from August 1 to 27.

There are now 142,531 active COVID-19 cases in the country, of which 1.1 percent are severe and 0.6 percent are critical that are at higher risk for death.

Based on the latest case bulletin, 75 percent of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 62 percent of isolation beds, 69 percent of ward beds, and 53 percent of ventilators across the country are currently being utilized.

/MUF