Philippines sees 6,637 more coronavirus infections

MANILA, Philippines — Local health officials on Thursday recorded 6,637 additional COVID-19 infections, bringing the national caseload to 1,080,172.

• Active cases: 63,170 or 5.8% of the total

  Related Stories

  LIVE updates: COVID-19 in the Philippines 2021

• Recoveries: 6,091, pushing total to 999,011

• Deaths: 191, bringing total to 17,991

What's new today? 

• Frustrated by criticism of his vaccination with a COVID-19 jab not yet approved for the public, President Rodrigo Duterte is now asking China to take back its donation of 1,000 vaccines developed by Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd. 

• The Philippines yesterday imposed a travel ban on passengers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka as a precautionary measure against the entry of the COVID-19 variant first reported in India.

• The Department of Health said five passengers with a travel history to India have tested positive for COVID-19.

• Sen. Richard Gordon wants the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to have its own emergency oxygen-generating plant to aid the treatment of COVID-19 and pneumonia. 

— Bella Perez-Rubio with a report from Xave Gregorio