COVID-19 Special Coverage, Issues and Special Coverage, News

Philippines records new highest number of cases in a day as August ends

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By Ana Rufa Padua

The Department of Health reported 22,366 new COVID-19 cases on August 30, making this the highest number of cases in a day with 2,925 more than the previous highest record of 19,441. 

As of August 31, the tally for COVID-19 cases is at 1,989,857 with 145,662 active cases

According to WHO representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe, there is “most certainly” community transmission of the variant.

“We do know the Delta variant spreads very fast, more transmissible, and has shorter incubation period. So, yes, with this kind of transmission, with this kind of numbers, we are in community transmission with Delta variant,” Abeyasinghe said. 

The results for recent genome sequencing showed that the Delta variant was found in 69% of the 748 positive samples. 

Apart from the Delta variant, South African scientists have confirmed a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations called the Mu variant or the C.1.2 Beta variant.

The Mu variant was first identified in May and has spread to most provinces in South Africa and seven other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. 

Vaccines are believed to be less effective against Beta variants and scientists have yet to establish whether the said variant is more contagious or has the ability to overcome vaccine immunity, resulting in travel restrictions to and from South Africa.

 Among overseas Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs listed 193 new cases, two new fatalities, and 120 new recoveries over the past week.

 “[T]his pandemic is far from over and that this virus is still exploring ways to potentially get better at infecting us,” one of the authors of the research on C.1.2, Richard Lessells said.

The Philippines has yet to reach even half of their goal for herd immunity of 75-80% as the month of August ends with a record of 33,099,392 total vaccine doses or 12.7% of the population vaccinated.

15,000 doses of Sputnik V’s Component II arrived on the night of August 31, the doses are intended to be administered as second doses. 

The government is also allocating 25 million doses of vaccine for the month of September, while deliveries of 114 million vaccines for the fourth quarter of the year are expected to arrive.

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr, the national vaccine manager, says that Central Luzon and Calabarzon will receive over three million doses in September, Metro Manila will get 951,692 doses, and the remaining nine regions will receive over a million doses each.

For more information on COVID-19, you may visit https://www.who.int/ or https://doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV.

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