PH reports 6,128 new COVID-19 cases, lowest in more than a week

Active cases exceed 130,000 for the first time

MANILA – The Philippines reported 6,128 additional cases on Wednesday, bringing the country’s cumulative total to 747,288 as groups call for an extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the ‘NCR Plus’ bubble.

The day’s cases are considered the lowest announced in a single day since March 23, when the health department announced 5,867 new infections, according to the ABS-CBN Research and Investigation Group (IRG).

However, Wednesday’s count does not include the results of 6 labs that did not submit data on time.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the figure for the day is low due to a “list of laboratory lines” that were not registered in the agency’s COVID-19 data repository system. The agency is investigating the incident.

Active cases in the country soared to 130,245, the highest level since the start of the pandemic.

DOH recorded 106 COVID-related deaths, bringing the nation’s death toll from the virus to 13,297.

ABS-CBN IRG said the day’s deaths is the highest number of deaths reported on a single day in more than a month or since February 20, when the DOH recorded 239 deaths.

Meanwhile, recoveries increased by 491 to 603,746.

Some hospitals in NCR Plus Bubble have already reached high occupancy levels to critics in their intensive care units (ICU) and beds assigned by COVID-19.

The alarming upturn in new cases this month is attributed to non-compliance with health protocols by citizens, increased circulation of people as a result of the gradual reopening of the economy and the detection of variants of COVID-19.

The government placed the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal – areas under the so-called NCR Plus – under ECQ from last Monday until April 4. Whether the stricter lockdown will be extended remains to be seen.

DOH earlier this week said that if the so-called NCR Plus areas are not placed under the stricter quarantine classification, active cases in the country may rise to 430,000 by the end of April.

More details below.

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