The country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case tally increased to 557,058 on Friday, Feb. 19, after 1,901 more people tested positive for the viral illness.

In its latest case bulletin, the Department of Health (DOH) said that active cases currently stood at  32,440  or 5.8 percent of the total number of cases.

Of the active cases, 86 percent are in mild condition, 8.5 percent do not have symptoms, 2.4 percent are in critical condition, 2.4 percent are severe, and 0.72 percent are in moderate condition, the DOH said.

The death count was pushed to 11,829 after 157 more COVID-19 patients died. The DOH noted that “120 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.”

Meanwhile, 537 more patients got well, which brought the total number of recoverIes to  512,789.

Amid the detection of two SARS-CoV-2 mutations in Central Visayas, it is important that the number of new cases must be kept low to avoid the virus from mutating, said Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases President Dr. Marissa Alejandria.

“As we continue to have cases, mutations will happen. Mutations are part of the evolution of the virus. For them to survive, they mutate. And the more cases we have, the more opportunities for it to mutate,” said Alejandria during a media forum.

Alejandria urged the public to strictly comply with the health protocols.

“Pareho pa rin ang mode of transmission, therefore pareho pa rin yung ating mga measures para maiwasan na mahawa tayo at para mapabababa natin ang dami ng COVID-19 infections (The mode of transmission is still the same, therefore our measures are still the same to prevent us from being infected and to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections),” she said.

“Avoid crowding, (there should be) good ventilation, wearing of a (face) mask, and early consultation. Once you feel symptoms, consult immediately and isolate,” she added.