MANILA, Philippines — The number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines rose to over 309,000 Tuesday after 2,025 new infections were added to the tally.
This pushed the total caseload to 309,303, of which nearly 17% were active cases or people who are still undergoing quarantine and treatment.
Metro Manila recorded the highest number of newly-reported cases with 628. Cavite came in second with 279, followed by Negros Occidental with 218, Laguna with 108 and Bulacan with 102.
Eighty-one percent of the new cases occurred in the last two weeks, the Department of Health said.
Total recoveries climbed to 259,930 after the DOH reported 290 additional recovered patients.
Meanwhile, 68 more people died from the severe respiratory disease, raising the country’s death toll to 5,448.
The DOH said Monday there is a seeming downtrend in the number of new infections but it advised the public to continue practicing minimum health standards.
Only Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City, will be under a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine beginning October 1.
Metro Manila, the epicenter of the country’s outbreak, will remain under general community quarantine until the end of October. Other areas under GCQ include Batangas, Tacloban City, Bacolod City, Iligan City and Iloilo City.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will be under modified GCQ, the most relaxed form of community quarantine.
The government first imposed quarantine measures in mid-March to slow the spread of the new coronavirus but thousands of cases are still being reported every day.
More than 3.46 million people have been tested for coronavirus in the country.
The coronavirus disease has so far claimed one million victims from more than 33 million recorded infections since the virus emerged from China late last year.