PH logs over 10,000 more COVID-19 cases in a new all-time high spike

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) — The Department of Health reported on Monday 10,016 new COVID-19 cases — the country's highest single day tally yet.

This is the sixth time in less than two weeks that the country set a new record high, surpassing the previous record of 9,838 infections listed just three days earlier.

Based on the DOH data, the new additions brought the nationwide cumulative case count to 731,894, of which 115,495 or 15.8% are active cases. The department noted that the updated tally does not yet include reports from three testing laboratories which failed to submit on time.

Of the currently ill patients, 95.9% exhibit mild symptoms, 2.4% have no symptoms, 0.7% are critical cases, another 0.7% are severe, and 0.41% are moderate.

The latest daily positivity rate also remained high at 18% as of noon of March 28. This refers to the percentage of those infected out of all tested in a day. The World Health Organization recommends that the number be kept below 5%, and experts said a higher rate suggests more widespread transmission and that there are likely more cases which have not yet been detected.

Meanwhile, recoveries rose to 603,213 after 78 more patients got well, while the death toll reached 13,186 with 16 more fatalities confirmed.

Six of the newly reported deaths occurred this March, one in January, and nine others in the months of April to December of last year. Broken down into regions, nine were from the National Capital Region, two from the Cordillera Administrative Region, and one each from Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, and Caraga Administrative Region.

The DOH added that after final validation, it reclassified as deaths 11 cases which were previously reported as recoveries. Fourteen duplicate cases, including eight recoveries, were removed from the official data.

Among Filipinos abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs listed nine new infections and five new survivors, bringing the total to 16,077 and 9,743, respectively. The death toll remained at 1,047 for the 10th day in a row.