Philippines logs 13,177 new COVID-19 cases in highest daily rise since April 2

MANILA, Philippines — Local health authorities on Friday reported 13,177 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national caseload to 1,713,302.

• Active cases: 96,395 or 5.6% of the total

• Recoveries: 4,322, pushing total to 1,587,069

• Deaths: 299, bringing total to 29,838

This is the second-highest daily rise in cases ever recorded since the start of the pandemic, trailing only behind the record 15,310 infections recorded in April 2. 

Restrictions loosened in some areas; Travel ban extended again

• The province of Laguna and the cities of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro will be shifted to the less strict modified enhanced community quarantine from August 16 to 31, Malacañang announced. 

• The pandemic task force extended restrictions on travelers coming from 10 countries until end-August as the threat of the highly contagious Delta variant continues to grow.

• It also trimmed its list of "green" or low-risk territories, reducing the number of fully vaccinated travelers who are allowed to undergo a shorter seven-day quarantine upon arrival to the Philippines. 

• More vaccines continue to be shipped to the country with 2 million Sinovac doses arriving last night 575,800 AstraZeneca shots arriving earlier today. 

• The National Task Force Against COVID-19 estimates that nearly half of Metro Manila's residents will be fully vaccinated by August 20, when the two-week lockdown imposed over the capital region is set to expire. 

• Figures from the NTF show that the government has consistently hit or surpassed its target of vaccinating at least half a million people per day nationwide with a daily vaccination rate of 558,000 from August 1 to 12.