The Department of Health reported 1,650 new COVID-19 infections Saturday, pushing the country's total to 406,337.
Laguna has the most number of new cases with 84 followed by Davao City with 81, Cavite with 73, Quezon with 71, and Rizal with 64.
There were 194 new recoveries and 39 new deaths, bringing the total to 363,068 and 7,791, respectively.
DoH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is still no date yet for the start of the World Health Organization Solidarity Trial for Vaccines in the Philippines.
While waiting for the WHO announcement, concerned government agencies are continuously preparing for the global trial.
“Halos araw-araw po ay nakikipag-usap tayo to prepare all of these logistical requirements and plans for implementation. Hinihintay lang po natin ang WHO as to the specific vaccines to be included and other information na kailangan nilang ipaabot sa atin (Almost every day, we talk (to other concerned agencies) to prepare all of these logistical requirements and plans for implementation. We are just waiting for the WHO as to the specific vaccines to be included and other information that they need to convey to us),” said Vergeire.
For the independent vaccine trials, Vergeire said that the country’s health authorities are still in the process of evaluating the application of China’s Sinovac Biotech and Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute.
“We do our follow-ups para mas mapabilis ang proseso natin pero hanggang ngayon (to hasten the process but as of now), the Russian Federation has still not provided us these documents that we need,” said Vergeire.
“As to Sinovac, as we said last week, ito ay nasa Ethics Review Board, meron lang kailangan na mga dokumento to clarify some things and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) at the same time is starting their evaluation with the existing documents that we have,” she added.