PH logs 11,021 new COVID-19 cases, highest in nearly 4 months

Active cases also highest in over 3 mos.

MANILA (UPDATE)—The Philippines on Saturday reported 11,021 additional COVID-19 cases, the highest in nearly 4 months, and the second straight day that new infections were more than 10,000, data showed.

• DOH: COVID-19 cases to continue rising as PH returns to 5-digit fresh infections

The country's total recorded COVID-19 infections stood at 1,649,341, of which 76,063 or 4.6 percent are considered active caseloads, based on the Department of Health's (DOH) latest bulletin. 

The positivity rate is at 19.1 percent, based on the samples received from 56,636 individuals tested for the virus on Thursday. 

The positivity rate is the highest since April 19, while the number of those still battling the disease is also the highest since April 25, ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said.

COVID-related deaths rose by 162, pushing the country's death toll to 28,835. This included 94 cases first tagged as recoveries. 

This is the 3rd straight day that fatalities counted more than 100, data showed.

Recoveries, meanwhile, increased to 1,544,443 with 9,194 new recuperations. 

Fifteen duplicates, 14 of which were recoveries, have been excluded from the case tally.

A total of 10 cases, all recoveries, were also "found to have tested negative." These, too, have been removed from the running tally. 

Nine recoveries turned out to be active cases, the DOH added. 

Three laboratories failed to submit on time.

• DOH sees COVID cases rising in NCR later on even with ECQ

According to the 4 p.m. bulletin, Metro Manila's intensive care unit (ICU) occupation rate is at 59 percent, while the rate is higher nationwide at 62 percent.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier in the day said fresh cases in the country would continue to rise in the coming days, as the tougher lockdowns in Metro Manila and other areas are primarily aimed to slow the growth of infections and prepare the country's health care system.

• PGH preparing for worst case scenario as COVID-19 cases rise

Vergeire added that the spike of new cases might be driven by the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, which is at least 60 percent more virulent than the original strain detected from Wuhan in December 2019. 

Despite this, however, the health official said authorities have yet to confirm community transmission of the variant, which first emerged in India, but emphasized that government is responding on the premise that the said transmission has already been confirmed.
 

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