MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:59 p.m.) — The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the Philippines rose to 93,354—a dire milestone—after over 4,000 additional cases were added to the national tally Friday.
The Department of Health reported 4,063 new cases—the country's highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases. The day before, 3,954 additional cases were logged.
Metro Manila was the source of around 56% of the newly-announced cases. It was followed by Cebu province with 654 cases, Laguna with 200, Rizal with 123 and Cavite with 117.
The number of active cases stood at 26,153—87.8% of which are mild cases.
The department also registered 165 additional recoveries, which brought the total number of COVID-19 survivors to 65,178.
Philippines’ recovery count leapt Thursday after the DOH reported record-high 38,089 recoveries. Such big increase was due to the department’s data reconciliation efforts with local governments and the re-tagging of mild and asymptomatic patients as recovered 14 days from the date they had their symptoms or from the date their specimens were collected if they do not have symptoms.
Total recoveries accounted for around 70% of the nation’s confirmed cases.
But the death toll reached 2,023 with 40 more people succumbing to the illness.
The DOH said it had removed 83 duplicates from the total case count. Of these, 42 recovered cases had been also removed.
The country has so far tested 1.37 individuals for the coronavirus.
Metro Manila stays under GCQ
In a delayed broadcast aired Friday morning, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila will stay under general community quarantine despite spike in coronavirus cases until August 15.
Other areas that will be under GCQ until mid-August include:
- Bulacan
- Cavite
- Laguna
- Rizal
- Cebu City
- Lapu-Lapu City
- Mandaue City
- Talisay City
- Minglanilla in Cebu province
- Consolacion in Cebu province
- Zamboanga City
Meanwhile, the rest of the Philippines will be under modified general community quarantine.
Duterte, who is pinning his hopes on coronavirus vaccines developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firms, said he is hoping the country will return to normal by December.
The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 673,000 people worldwide since it emerged in China late last year, with nearly 17.30 million infected.