Philippines logs 8,122 new COVID-19 cases, total nears 893,000

MANILA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Wednesday 8,122 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 892,880.

The death toll climbed to 15,447 after 162 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The coronavirus spread has not slowed down, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing.

"We have not seen a decline in cases. The cases continue to increase. The average number of daily cases is still between 10,000 to 11,000 daily," she added.

Vergeire said workplace clusters are the key source of infections. "It is still community transmission. The percentage of infections in the workplaces has increased, primarily in hospitals and closed institutions," she said.

The Philippines, which has about a 110 million population, has tested over 10 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.

The government is ramping up its efforts to strengthen the healthcare system by adding medical and quarantine facilities to cope with the surge.

"What's critical would be to maintain our healthcare system and make sure that hospitals can accommodate as many patients that will be needing hospital beds, and (ensure enough) human resources," Vergeire said.

The government placed Metro Manila and its adjacent four provinces under strict lockdown since March 29 to contain the surge that started in late February. The lockdown stays until April 30.

The DOH blames the spike on the fast-spreading variants, increased mobility, and the people's non-compliance with health protocols.