DOH reports 14,895 more COVID-19 cases

MANILA, Philippines — Health authorities on Thursday listed 14,895 new coronavirus cases to push the country's total to 1,791,003.

Today's numbers are the second-highest daily rise since the pandemic began in 2020, next only to the 15,310 in April this year.

Active cases were up by 6,569 from the 105,151 on August 18. The Department of Health said two laboratories did not submit test results.

• Active cases: 111,720 or 6.2% of the total


• Recoveries: 8,248, bringing the number to 1,648,402


• Deaths: 258, or now 30,881 in total

Audit findings keep coming

• State auditors flagged the Department of Budget and Management for the purchase of surgical masks and face shields worth P95.46 million that were too expensive for agencies to buy. 


• The chief of the Philippine National Police took back his previous comments suggesting the Commission on Audit refrain from releasing its reports to the media.


• Government figures showed there are now 12.87 million Filipinos fully vaccinated for COVID-19 against the target of 70 million in 2021. Some 16.25 million, meanwhile, have received their first dose.


• The Commission on Higher Education allowed 12 colleges and universities in the Cordillera Administrative Region to hold limited in-person classes in medicine or health-allied programs.