The country on Saturday recorded a new high of 19,441 COVID-19 infections, the highest single-day tally yet since the pandemic began last year, as the government extended the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status in Metro Manila and 15 other areas until Sept. 7.
The latest daily case count was higher than the 18,332 tallied last Monday. The Department of Health (DOH) earlier warned of new “peaks” in the coming days.
The total case count is now 1,935,700, of which 142,679 are active—with the majority, or 95.5 percent being mild; 1.8 percent, asymptomatic; 0.99 percent, moderate; 0.6 percent, critical; and 1.1 percent, severe.
At least 19,191 more patients have recovered, bringing the total number of survivors to 1,769,013. But 167 have succumbed to the disease, for a death toll of 33,008.
Positivity rate
The positivity rate in the country also rose to 27.5 percent from the 26.1 percent on Friday, well past the 5-percent standard of the World Health Organization to indicate that the infection has been put under control. Of the 71,620 tested on Thursday, 27.5 percent, or 19,695, turned out positive, the DOH said.
Three laboratories failed to submit their data on time, while 202 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Another 76 cases previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after validation.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has retained the MECQ in the following areas besides the capital region: Lucena City and Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna provinces in Luzon; Iloilo City, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu City and Mandaue City and Aklan and Iloilo provinces in the Visayas; and Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Metro Manila, Bataan and Laguna would see added restrictions on dining, personal care services and religious activities.
Quoting IATF Resolution No. 135-A dated Aug. 26, he said “indoor and al fresco dine-in services, and personal care services including beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, and nail spas shall not be allowed” in these areas.
Religious activities will be limited to online attendance, while necrological services, such as wakes, inurnments and funerals will be allowed at a limited crowd capacity, the IATF said.
Under GCQ, MGCQ
The task force also placed the following areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) but with heightened restrictions: Naga City and Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Quezon and Batangas provinces in Luzon; Bacolod City and Antique, Capiz, Cebu and Negros Oriental provinces in the Visayas; and the cities of Davao and Butuan and the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental and Davao de Oro in Mindanao.
Placed under GCQ, with no other restrictions, are the cities of Baguio, Santiago and Puerto Princesa and the provinces of Quirino, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Tarlac in Luzon; Guimaras and Negros Occidental provinces in the Visayas; and the cities of Zamboanga, General Santos and Cotabato and the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands in Mindanao.
The rest of the country will be under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
OTBs approved
The IATF has also approved the use of the Bureau of Quarantine and Department of Transportation’s OneHealthPass, an online registration platform through which arriving international travelers are issued quick-response (QR) codes to facilitate their “convenient and seamless movement,” Roque said.
The passes would take effect on Sept. 1 and remain in use while the country is under a state of public health emergency, he added.
The task force also approved the Philippine Racing Commission’s request to operate off-track betting stations (OTBs) in Metro Manila while it is under MECQ, but subject to the approval of the local governments concerned.
“The operation of OTBs shall be strictly limited to selling of tickets and shall ensure the enforcement of health and safety protocols, and observance of minimum public health standards within their premises,” Roque said. —WITH A REPORT FROM JULIE M. AURELIO