MANILA, Philippines — The novel coronavirus pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down in the Philippines after health authorities reported over 1,000 new cases Monday.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case count reached 82,040 after the Department of Health reported 1,657 additional infections.
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Most of the newly-announced cases came from Metro Manila with 1,017 infections. It was followed by Laguna with 89, Cavite with 38, Cebu province with 31and Rizal with 31. .
If the trend continues, movement restrictions could tighten in the capital region, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said.
The Philippines has 53,649 active cases—the highest in Southeast Asia.
As of posting, President Rodrigo Duterte takes the podium to address Filipinos anxious for their lives and uncertain about their future as the virus continues to rage on. He is expected to unveil measures to revive the economy battered by the pandemic.
The number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 also increased by 359 to 26,446.
Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 1,945 after 16 people succumbed to the severe respiratory illness.
The DOH said it had removed 65 duplicates from the total case count.
Over 1.26 million people have been tested in the country.
The pandemic has killed more than 647,000 people worldwide since it emerged in China late last year, with nearly 16.2 million infected.