DOH: 86 more COVID-19 patients die; total deaths now 33,533

(FILE) UNPRECEDENTED 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 86 patients who contracted COVID-19 have died, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

The DOH said there are now 33,533 deaths due to COVID-19 complications, composing 1.67 percent of the country’s 2,003,955 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

From August 1 to 30, the agency has recorded an average of 114 deaths per day due to the coronavirus. The peak of deaths was last April when the country logged 135 average fatalities per day.

The DOH earlier noted an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients who have died in August, considering the 97 average deaths in July and 106 deaths in June.

COVID-19 cases are again on the rise as the country struggles to contain the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization confirmed that there is already community transmission of the Delta variant considering the high number of cases being detected in genome sequencing.

However, the DOH earlier noted that the proportion of fatalities among the confirmed cases this year is not higher than last year despite more cases currently being recorded.

The country now has 140,949 active COVID-19 cases, of which 1.2 percent are severe and 0.6 percent are critical that have a higher risk for death.

/MUF