The Philippines on Sunday logged a high 20,021 new recoveries from COVID-19 in a single day, bringing the total number of patients who have recovered from the disease to 229,865, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
The country logged 3,311 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections since the pandemic began to 286,743.
This marked the 13th straight day in which more than 3,000 new cases were reported.
Metro Manila accounted for most of the new cases at 1,432. Negros Occidental had 261, Laguna, 231, Rizal, 204 and Cavite, 174.
The DOH also reported 55 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 4,984.
There are a total of 51,894 active cases in the country. Of these, 86.6 percent are mild, 8.7 percent are asymptomatic, 1.4 percent are severe, and 3.3 percent are critical.
More than 3.1 million individuals have been tested for COVID-19.
Of the 20,021 recoveries logged, 625 were from routine reports while 19,396 were time-based recoveries in which asymptomatic and mild cases are re-tagged as recovered after completing a 14-day quarantine without developing new symptoms.
In other developments:
• Ako Bisaya party-list Rep. Sonny Lagon appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to allow the reopening of cockfighting events to help create jobs and rebuild the economy.
• Senator Christopher Go said the extension of the state of calamity would ensure the continuity of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. “As the COVID-19 virus continues to threaten the public’s health and safety, it is imperative that we continue to remain vigilant and focused on preventing a bigger outbreak as well as addressing the urgent needs facing our people,” Go said.