MANILA, Philippines — The daily increase in COVID-19 cases in the country remained below the 20,000 mark on Monday, as the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 18,937 new infections.
This number of new cases accounts for 26.3 percent of the 72,770 individuals tested, bringing the total confirmed infections to 2,385,616 since the pandemic hit the country last year.
Meanwhile, the DOH once again reported a higher number of recoveries at 20,171, increasing the total number of recoveries to 2,171,832.
Active COVID-19 cases, on the other hand, are currently at 176,850 nationwide, which currently accounts for 7.4 percent of the total number of infections.
Of the total patients currently afflicted with the serious respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 92.7 percent are suffering mild cases, 2.7 percent are asymptomatic, 2.61 percent moderate, 1.4 percent severe, and 0.6 percent critical.
However, five laboratories were not able to submit data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System in the total tests conducted on September 18, the DOH said. These five labs contribute, on average, 1.6 percent of samples tested and 1.7 percent of positive individuals.
The DOH also recorded 146 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 36,934.
The health agency also noted that 70 duplicates were removed from the total case count, of which 51 are recoveries.
“Moreover, 53 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation,” the DOH said.
The DOH also reported that 77 percent of ICU beds, 67 percent of isolation beds, 71 percent of ward beds, and 57 percent of ventilators are currently in use across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Metro Manila, meanwhile, occupied ICU beds are currently at 79 percent, isolation beds at 63 percent, ward beds at 72 percent while 60 percent of available ventilators were also being used in the region, said DOH.
The DOH earlier said that COVID-19 cases in the country may peak by October, citing experts’ projections. However, it reiterated that this could still be prevented if COVID-19 response is improved.
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