Philippines sees 17,964 more COVID-19 cases

MANILA, Philippines — Health authorities on Friday logged 17,964 new coronavirus cases to bring the country's total to 2,179,770.

Today's figures saw active cases up by 8,798 from the 166,672 on September 9. The Department of Health said four laboratories did not submit test results. 

• Active cases: 175,470 or 8.0% of the total


• Recoveries: 9,067, bringing the number to 1,969,401


• Deaths: 168, or now 34,899 in total

Roque under fire for berating doctors

• Health workers condemned Palace spokesperson Harry Roque's berating of doctors who appealed against downgrading Metro Manila to general community qurantine amid continued rise in COVID-19 cases. 


• The pandemic task force has "provisionally" approved guidelines on granular lockdowns in Metro Manila, but details remain scant on when it would start. 


• Some 502,000 more procured doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the Philippines.