The latest report released by the Department of Health (DOH) in the Philippines revealed 518 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Due to the latest tally, the country's total number of cases could soon exceed 23,000.
The DOH's latest update regarding the status of COVID-19 in the Philippines was released on June 9. With over 500 new confirmed cases, the total number of cases in the country has already reached 22,992.
Current Confirmed Cases In The Philippines
According to the DOH's tracker, the number of active cases in the country is currently at 17,239. A total of 1,017 individuals have already died in the country, including six reported deaths on June 9. In total, 4,736 have already recovered from COVID-19 in the Philippines. As noted by the agency, 99 of the recoveries were reported on June 9.
The DOH clarified that out of the 518 new confirmed cases, 280 of them were "fresh", which refer to the patients whose test results were released within the last three days. The remaining 238 cases are from late reports.
The new confirmed cases were reported over a week after lockdown restrictions were eased in the country's capital. During a virtual forum earlier this week, the country's Health Secretary Francisco Duque III maintained that the rise in number of cases is not related to the easing of the restrictions, Rappler reported.
Possibility Of Extending Lockdown Measures
Given the current trend in the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, the government confirmed that it might extend or tighten the lockdown restrictions in various areas including Metro Manila. During the start of the outbreak in the country, many areas were placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which was imposed with strict lockdown measures. On June 1, the restriction was downgraded to general community quarantine (GCQ), which enabled various business establishments and public transportation agencies to operate.
However, if the number of cases continues to increase in the country, the government will most likely extend the current restriction or impose a stricter one."If it continues to increase, well, of course, there's a possibility that we won't graduate to the next phase," Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement. "If the trend continues, either we continue on under GCQ or we could go back to modified ECQ."
