MANILA — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has gone up to 8,212 after the Department of Health announced 254 new cases on Wednesday.

The number of total recoveries also breached the 1,000-mark at 1,023 after 48 new recovered patients were recorded.

“Kasama po sa mga naitalang naka-recover ay ang mga pasyenteng na-confine, at mga pasyenteng may mga positive mild and asymptomatic cases na naka-recover mula sa kanilang self-isolation at home quarantine,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a televised briefing.

(Included in the tally of recoveries are patients who were confined and patients who were positive but were considered mild and asymptomatic cases and have recovered from their self-isolation and home quarantine.)

Meanwhile, the number of deaths went up by 28 on Wednesday, bringing the total of COVID-related fatalities to 558.

According to ABS-CBN Data Analytics, the number of new deaths is the highest in nearly 3 weeks.

Of the 8,212 confirmed COVID-19 case, 1,552 or 18.9 percent are health workers.

• Doctors, nurses, other health workers with COVID-19 now at 1,552; 232 recovered - DOH

Since the pandemic started, a total of 89,021 tests have been conducted by accredited laboratories. Of this number, 88.44 percent had negative results and 10,139 or 11.39 percent turned out positive.

Vergeire said the total tests does not include the two latest approved laboratories.

She said the number of positive tests is higher than the number of confirmed cases because they are still undergoing “validation and processing.”