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DPA
Manila
The death toll attributable to the coronavirus has topped 6,000 in the Philippines, with the cumulative number of cases hitting more than 330,000, the Department of Health said on Thursday.
On Thursday, the department reported 144 additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total toll to 6,069.
A third of those deaths occurred in October, while the rest were from September, August and July, but were only reported now, it said.
More than 60 percent of the additional deaths were from the capital region of Metro Manila, the department added.
An additional 2,363 confirmed coronavirus infections were reported on Thursday, pushing the number of cases the country has reported since the outbreak’s start to 331,869.
While the Philippines is among the 20 countries worldwide with the most number of coronavirus infections, health experts say the number of cases has been decreasing.
But they noted that the trend was uneven, with hotspots outside of the capital.
“For now, there is a decreasing trend in Metro Manila,” said Guido David of the University of the Philippines. “Our reproduction rate is less than one, but there are increases in other places and we need to monitor those areas where cases are increasing.
“But with the continued implementation of health protocols, social-distancing, wearing of face masks and face shields, this really helps with the decreasing trend,” he added.
The government imposed a lockdown on the main island of Luzon and other high-risk areas in the middle of March, but has been easing restrictions since June in a bid to jump-start the economy.
Manila
The death toll attributable to the coronavirus has topped 6,000 in the Philippines, with the cumulative number of cases hitting more than 330,000, the Department of Health said on Thursday.
On Thursday, the department reported 144 additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total toll to 6,069.
A third of those deaths occurred in October, while the rest were from September, August and July, but were only reported now, it said.
More than 60 percent of the additional deaths were from the capital region of Metro Manila, the department added.
An additional 2,363 confirmed coronavirus infections were reported on Thursday, pushing the number of cases the country has reported since the outbreak’s start to 331,869.
While the Philippines is among the 20 countries worldwide with the most number of coronavirus infections, health experts say the number of cases has been decreasing.
But they noted that the trend was uneven, with hotspots outside of the capital.
“For now, there is a decreasing trend in Metro Manila,” said Guido David of the University of the Philippines. “Our reproduction rate is less than one, but there are increases in other places and we need to monitor those areas where cases are increasing.
“But with the continued implementation of health protocols, social-distancing, wearing of face masks and face shields, this really helps with the decreasing trend,” he added.
The government imposed a lockdown on the main island of Luzon and other high-risk areas in the middle of March, but has been easing restrictions since June in a bid to jump-start the economy.
