MANILA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 129,913 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,109 new daily cases on Sunday.
The DOH said that the number of recoveries further rose to 67,673 after it reported 654 more patients have survived the disease.
The death toll also increased to 2,270 after 61 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH added.
Metro Manila topped the five regions or provinces with the highest 1,700 daily confirmed cases reported on Sunday.
The Philippines is still grappling with surging COVID-19 infections despite the strict lockdown imposed in mid-March to stem the spread of the virus.
The country is implementing the "zoning containment" strategy or targeted lockdowns in an effort to control the infections, while slowly rebuilding the economy.
To break the chain of local transmission, the government is also strictly implementing health and safety standards across the country and further increasing the testing capacity and contact tracing capability especially in high-risk communities.
Moreover, the Philippines is scaling up the nation's health care capacity by establishing more intensive care units and isolation beds, testing laboratories, referral hospitals, swabbing centers, and quarantine facilities throughout the country.
The Philippines has announced that it plans to hire 10,000 healthcare workers to ensure that the medical frontliners, especially the doctors and nurses, are rested, motivated and rejuvenated to face this long-drawn battle against COVID-19.
The DOH said a total of 5,398 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the disease emerged in the country in January. Thirty-nine have died, it added. Enditem
