MANILA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines have surged to 324,762 after the Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,291 new daily cases on Monday.
The DOH said the number of recoveries surged to 273,123 after 87 more patients recovered. Meanwhile, 64 more patients died from the viral disease, bringing the death toll to 5,840.
The Philippines' capital Metro Manila topped the regions in the country with the highest number of 825 daily confirmed cases on Monday.
In an online press briefing Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Philippines is currently averaging 2,400 COVID-19 cases in the past week, lower from the over 3,000 average before the reimposition of the two-week modified lockdown in the outbreak epicenter Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
She attributed the improvements to the government's strengthened contact-tracing efforts and the improved health systems capacity or the hospitals' capacity.
However, Health Secretary Francisco Duque warned that the country is not going for a record of zero COVID-19 cases but aiming for a much lower number of cases.
"This virus is gonna stay with us. Let us not deceive ourselves. We're not going for zero COVID-19 cases," Duque said. Enditem
