DOH logs 21,411 new COVID-19 cases, five labs without data

MANILA, Philippines — Health authorities reported 21,411 more coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the national caseload to 2,227,367. 

In its latest bulletin, the DOH reported a positivity rate of 27.0% out of 78,274 tests.

• Active cases: 181,951 or 8.2% of the total
• Recoveries: 25,049, bringing the number to 2,010,271
• Deaths: 168 newly recorded, or now 35,145 in total

According to the Department of Health, five labs were not able to submit their tallies for Sunday's final count.

But the DOH added that the five labs only made up 1.6% of all samples tested and 2.1% of all positive individuals. 

The country continues to battle a resurgence in cases driven by the hyper contagious Delta variant, which has ravaged neighboring countries.

What's new today?

• Vice President Leni Robredo hit Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque for his tirade against health workers earlier this week. 

• The Philippine National Police directed police units in Metro Manila and other parts of the country to ensure that minimum health standards are followed by those who would troop to the malls for the voter registration process this month. 

• Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, also tasked police chiefs to assist in intensified information dissemination campaign on vaccination and the rules on alert level system and granular lockdown.

• Typhoon Kiko (international name Chanthu) has slightly weakened and is now over the sea east of Central Taiwan, state weather bureau Pagasa said Sunday morning.

• Typhoon Jolina (international name Conson) has now left a total of 17 Filipinos confirmed dead in its wake, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management disclosed Sunday. 

• The Department of the Interior and Local Government defended Sunday the provision in the recently-signed Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act that will arm firefighters under the new Security and Protection Units in each regional and city fire station.

— Franco Luna