MANILA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Tuesday 5,177 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the tally in the Southeast Asian country to 1,235,467.
The death toll rose to 21,012 after 46 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.
The Philippines, with a population more than 110 million, has tested over 12 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.
Metro Manila and the adjacent areas will remain under "heightened (lockdown) restrictions" amid a steady increase in infections in the capital, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised press conference.
Roque said "some restrictions shall still be in place in these areas limiting the capacities of certain industries."
The government continued to urge people to stay at home, avoid crowds, and wear face coverings outside.
Indoor and outdoor dining is allowed at a limited capacity and the same with salons, parlors, and beauty clinics, Roque said.
However, entertainment venues such as bars, theaters, net cafes, amusement parks, and the like are still not allowed to operate, he added.
The government has also eased the rules for domestic travels, allowing leisurely trips from Metro Manila to other destinations with the same level of lockdown restrictions, but people can only travel if they test negative for COVID-19 and will only apply to point-to-point travel.
The Philippines continues to grapple with an increasing number of cases in some regions outside of the capital.
"Cases nationally and across all island groups showed upward trend starting Thursday, correlated with a slight increase in positivity rate," Health Secretary Francisco Duque reported to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a televised meeting aired late Monday.
Duque said the number of new cases in Metro Manila and nearby areas "is plateauing," while the infection rate in the Visayas region in the central Philippines is "gradually increasing."
However, Duque said the number of cases in Mindanao in the southern Philippines is increasing "at a faster rate."
Mindanao cases have outpaced Metro Manila. Areas in the main Luzon island outside of Metro Manila also saw an increase, Duque added.
Duterte approved on Monday the recommendation of the inter-agency coronavirus task force to extend the lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal provinces until June 15.
"Our goal is to gradually open up some of the sectors or the industry so that we can balance the health and the economy," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. Enditem
