May 27 ------ The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines rose to 14,669 on Tuesday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 350 new infections, the highest recorded since 414 new cases were announced on April 6. Total recoveries also increased to 3,412 after 89 more patients recovered from the respiratory illness, while the death toll climbed to 886 with 13 new fatalities.
The DOH earlier said it plans to dedicate 30,000 hospital beds for COVID-19 patients. The current supply is at 13,304. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also said that all regions in the country have accredited COVID-19 testing centers except for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. As of May 24, the Philippines has 34 polymerase chain reaction laboratories and eight GeneXpert facilities for COVID-19 testing. Over 100 other institutions are undergoing the five-step laboratory accreditation process, 96 of which are already on Stage 3 and above.
Source: gmanetwork.com