MANILA (UPDATE) - The Department of Health (DOH) late Saturday night said announced 13 more cases of COVID-19, raising the nationwide total to 111.

The report came after what it calls "a complete validation" of laboratory results on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the DOH reported 34 new 2019 novel coronavirus cases.

"Information of the new cases is currently being validated and will be released to the public as soon as it is available," the agency said in a statement.

Of the 111 cases, 8 have died, 2 recovered while 101 are still confined in hospitals.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire asked for patience and understanding with respect to the results of the COVID 19 tests due to the big number of patients being tested everyday.

"Mayroon tayong mga challenges ngayon dahil talaga namang dagsa ang ating tinetest sa laboratory kaya minsan nagkakaroon tayo ng delay," she explained in DZMM.

Vergeire said they have recorded a total of 914 patients under investigation.

"Pero ito po ay mga pasyente pa lang na inaadmit natin. Hindi pa natin binibilang yung mga taong pinauwi natin although tinest na natin kasi mild lang po ang symptoms nila so iba pa ang numero na iyon," she said.

Vergeire also explained the types of symptoms a patient might experience.

"Kapag sinabing mild, iyan ang kaunaunahang nararamdaman tulad ng ubo, sipon, lagnat, masakit ang lalamunan, nagtatae. 'Pag sinabing severe, ito na 'yung may kasama nang paghirap sa paghinga, hinihingal na po," she said.

"'Pag sinabing kritikal, ito 'yung kailangan nila po ng aparato para makatulong sa paghinga n'yo. Kailangan ng mataas na antas ng gamot para matulungan masustena ang kayang buhay."

The Philippines has been under a state of public health emergency for nearly a week, with its capital placed on a month-long lockdown to contain the virus.

The COVID-19 has killed over 5,000 people and infected some 140,000 others worldwide, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it as a pandemic.