Philippines logs 1,799 new COVID-19 cases, public urged to avoid crowds

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines on Monday reported 1,799 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's total tally to 420,614.

The DOH said that 135 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 386,604. The death toll rose to 8,173 after 50 more patients died from the coronavirus epidemic.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire warned Filipinos once again to avoid crowds as the holiday season draws near, noting that people in the crowded area have a higher potential risk of getting infected.

She repeated the warning after pictures of shoppers crowded a shopping mall, disregarding the safe distance. The influx of shoppers took place despite warnings.

"We want to remind you that the risk of catching and spreading the virus is very high when we go to crowded areas like what happened in (the mall) over the weekend," she said in an online media briefing.

Vergeire said that even if shoppers are wearing face masks or shields, they can still contract the virus, especially in crowded areas.

"Even if you are wearing a face mask and face shield, but you go to a crowded area where there is no distancing, you can still contract the disease. The risk is there, and it's very high," Vergeire added.

She reminded the people that no vaccine is available and that the virus is still there and can be transmitted.

Meanwhile, she said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has "plateaued."

"In general terms, for the whole country, the trend is plateauing, less than 2,000, and the critical care is at moderate risk," she said.

The Philippines has seen less than 2,000 daily spike of COVID-19 cases for 14 straight days.

This is a good indication because the country can cope with the situation, she added.

She noted that the DOH is still closely watching the some areas with new virus clusters, including the southern Davao City and the central Cebu City.

"We are closely watching areas like Davao City, where the critical care utilization is rising," she said.