MANILA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported 1,337 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the national tally to 413,430.
The Philippines has posted 10 consecutive days with less than 2,000 cases since Nov. 10.
The DOH said 286 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 374,939. The death toll climbed to 7,998 after 41 more patients died from the coronavirus epidemic.
The DOH said it has tested 5 million people in the country so far.
The Philippines has a population of about 110 million.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation to make advance payments to suppliers of potential vaccines for COVID-19, his spokesman Harry Roque said.
"We will enter into advanced market commitments with private vaccine developers and will give advanced payments to them," Roque said in a televised media briefing.
He said Duterte agreed to enter into advance market commitments to avoid being among the last countries to acquire a vaccine. Duterte was initially against having to pay pharmaceutical companies to reserve vaccines in advance. Enditem
