The country has recorded 3,349 new coronavirus cases pushing the total COVID-19 cases in the Philippines to 591,138.

The newly reported cases mark the highest single-day record since October 2020. This is also the highest number of cases since the start of 2021.

Aside from today’s high number of cases, the Philippines also reached the 3,000 mark for the first time last Friday.

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Of the total number, 43,323 are active cases, of which 90 percent are mild 5.6 percent are asymptomatic, 1.8 percent are critical, 1.8 percent are severe and 0.75 percent are moderate.

160 new recoveries and 42 deaths were also reported, bringing the total to 535,350 and 12,465, respectively.

The rise in COVID-19 cases comes after the government confirms new cases of the more transmissible South Africa variant.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque announced on Friday that the Philippines recorded 52 new cases of the more transmissible South Africa COVID-19 variant.

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Duque said that majority of the cases came from Metro Manila and most of them are active cases.

“Iyong pong South Africa variant, 41 out of 52 cases, ito po ay galing sa NCR at 11 po dito bineberipika, 40 naman ang active at isa ay recovered na,” Duque said in a media briefing in Davao City.

Duque also said that there are 31 new cases of the UK variant.

“Sa UK variant, 28 out of 31 ay nasa NCR at tatlo naman ay vine-verify pa kung ito ba ay galing sa returning Filipinos o ito ba ay local cases,” Duque said. (TDT)

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