PH logs 848 new COVID-19 cases

June 27 ------ The Philippines recorded 848 new COVID-19 cases, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.

This is the highest daily tally since March 6, or in over three months, according to ABS-CBN Data Analytics Team head Edson Guido. The number of people currently positive for the coronavirus stood at 6,761. The country's total confirmed cases climbed to 3,700,876. Its first infection was reported on Jan. 30, 2020, involving a Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan City, China where the disease is believed to have first emerged. Of the additional cases reported during the day, 397 are from Metro Manila, the DOH said. The positivity rate from June 19 to 25 is at 4.9 percent, higher than the 3.1 percent recorded the previous week, said Guido. DOH data also showed that the total number of COVID-related deaths in the country has reached 60,518, after 11 new deaths were confirmed. Total recoveries, meanwhile, stood at 3,633,597.

From June 13 to 19, the country recorded an average of 436 cases per day, the DOH said in its latest bulletin. The tally was 82 percent higher than infections from June 6 to 12, said the agency. This is the highest number of cases logged in a single week in 13 weeks, or since the week of March 14 to 20 when 3,481 cases were reported, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group. The DOH earlier warned that active cases could reach 7,500 by the second half of July if compliance with minimum health protocols declines and booster uptake remains low. More than 70 million people in the Philippines have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

Metro Manila and dozens of other areas will stay under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 until the end of June, Malacañang said, even as the capital region recorded a rise in new infections. Under Alert 1, all indoor establishments and public transport may operate at 100 percent capacity, but only for those with full vaccination status. Authorities continue to remind the public to follow minimum health protocols, especially wearing of face masks.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com