By Analou De Vera
The number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines is now close to 26,000 as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 539 new infections.
The DOH in its latest case bulletin said there are now 25,930 confirmed cases nationwide as of 4 p.m. on Sunday (June 14).
The DOH said that 366 were “fresh” cases or test results released within the last three days. Of these, 153 were detected in the National Capital Region, 110 in Central Visayas, 103 in other regions.
It was also shown that 173 were “late” cases or were part of the validation backlog of the DOH.
“One duplicate case was also removed from the total cases reported as of 13 June 2020. The total cases reported may be subject to change as these numbers undergo constant cleaning and validation,” it said.
As of June 12, there are 18,281 active cases with the majority of the patients "exhibiting mild symptoms," the DOH said.
Fourteen more patients were reported to have died from the dreaded illness, two of which occurred on June 5 and 7. The total number of deaths is now at 1,088, the DOH said.
Earlier, Health Undersecretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire explained that the “rise in reported deaths from COVID-19 this month is due to a delay in the submission of validated mortality cases from the LGUs (local government units) to the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau.”
The DOH also reported 248 new recoveries, bringing the total of those who were able to survive from COVID-19 to 5,954.
“Everyone must play their part in battling the virus by keeping themselves healthy, practicing preventive measures, and promoting the spread of verified and timely information about the virus,” the DOH said.