Manila records highest COVID-19 cases per day at 463, but Isko clarifies it’s backlog

Mayor Isko Moreno delivers his second State of the City Address in Manila City Hall, Manila on July 2, 2020. He said that the coronavirus pandemic is the new ‘Batte of Manila’ but despite the difficulties the city gained higher revenue collections and continues to develop infrastructure projects. The city of Manila is second with the most number of cases of coronavirus disease in the National Capital Region.
RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The City of Manila has tallied additional 436 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday — the record highest single-day report — although Mayor Isko Moreno clarified that these are part of the backlog.

According to Manila’s latest updates, the city now has a total of 2,769 COVID-19 cases, 1,240 of which are active while 1,382 others have recovered.  Another 15 deaths have been recorded, bringing the death toll to 147.

Moreno explained during his briefing that the delay was caused by late reporting from testing centers tapped by the city, which may have been overwhelmed with the number of swabs that they have to process.

“Bakit ho tayo 463 cases just today?  Ito po ang tinatawag na late cases, ibig hong sabihin itong mga taong ito ay na-test na two weeks ago, three weeks ago, malungkot mang sabihin ito ay inabot ng halos isang buwan […] dala ng hindi kontrol ng siyudad ng Maynila ‘yong testing laboratory na inoffer sa atin no’ng ibang laboratory,” he said.

(Why are we at 463 cases today?  This is what we call late cases, meaning these people who have been tested two weeks ago, three weeks ago, sadly some even took a month before confirmation, as the city has no control of the laboratory’s abilities.)

“But be that as it may, kailangan pa rin naming i-report ito sa inyo (we still need to report it to you),” he added.

As of Friday, the city also has 564 patients suspected to carry the latest coronavirus strain, while eight are still probable.

The spike in the cases coincides with the Department of Health’s report on Friday of its highest single-day reports of COVID-19 cases at 1,531, pushing the total past the 40,000 mark.

JPV