COVID-19 cases in Philippines climb to nearly 515,000 with 1,581 new infections

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s coronavirus disease caseload rose to 514,996 Monday after the Department of Health announced 1,581 additional infections.

The number of people who are still undergoing quarantine or treatment stands at 29,282 or 5.7% of the country’s confirmed cases.

The DOH also reported 13 additional recovered patients, pushing total recoveries to 475,422.

Meanwhile, 50 more patients died from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 10,292.

Where most cases were reported

• Quezon City (general community quarantine) – 89
• Cebu City (modified GCQ) – 88
• Cavite (MGCQ) – 80
• Davao City (GCQ) – 78
• Cebu (MGCQ) – 50

What’s new today?

• Authorities have identified 144 close contacts of the 12 residents in Bontoc, Mountain Province who were found to have the more infectious variant of COVID-19. Of the figure, 34 tested positive. “We had six where the UK variant was not detected…. We are left with 28 more that we need to send for sequencing,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
• Five villages in Bontoc were placed under lockdown until end-January as COVID-19 cases rise in the town.
• The Philippine Red Cross started its COVID-19 saliva testing at its molecular laboratories in Metro Manila. The organization said this mode of COVID-19 testing is cheaper, faster and less invasive than swab testings.

— with report from Xave Gregorio

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