PH records 3,117 new COVID-19 cases, lowest since May 23

COVID-19 test_positive. STOCK PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,117 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. This latest figure was the lowest count since May 23.

But the DOH also said positivity rate remains high as the 3,117 new cases account for 7.5 percent of the 41,712 individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on October 30.

The World Health Organization says 5 percent and below positivity rate indicates controlled transmission of the virus.

The DOH likewise reported the recovery of 5,124 coronavirus patients, consequently decreasing active COVID-19 cases to 43,185 from 45,233 on Sunday, October 31. This latest number of individuals still sick due to the new coronavirus was also deemed as the lowest the country has ever had in almost four months or since July 14. Total recovered patients stood at 2,703,914 as of Monday.

Of the 43,185 active COVID-19 cases, 72.6 percent were mild cases, 4.9 percent were asymptomatic, 12.32 percent were moderate, 7.2 percent were severe, and 3.0 percent were at critical conditions, according to the health agency.

Death counts, meanwhile, rose to 43,276 as of November 1 as an additional 104 patients have died due to the new coronavirus.

The Philippines has confirmed the COVID-19 infection of 2,790,375 individuals since the pandemic in 2020.

The DOH, however, said eight laboratories that conducted tests on October 30 were not able to submit data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System. These labs, it noted, contribute 0.8 percent of samples tested and 1.1 percent of positive individuals on average.

It further reported the removal of 18 duplicates, which included 13 recoveries, from the government’s coronavirus data. It likewise said 68 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

As for the country’s healthcare utilization rate, the DOH said it continued to decrease nationwide reporting the occupation and use of 45 percent of ICU beds, 34 percent of isolation beds, 31 percent of ward beds, and 31 percent of ventilators.

In Metro Manila, the DOH said utilization of ICU beds was at 39 percent; isolation beds. 27 percent; and ward beds, 30 percent while 29 percent for ventilators in the region were in use as of November 1.

KGA