The number of patients who have tested positive from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rose to 8,212 on Wednesday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 254 new infections.

“As of 4PM today, April 29, 2020, the Department of Health reports 254 new cases (PH7959-PH8212) of COVID-19. The total number of cases in the country is now at 8,212,” said the DOH COVID-19 Case Bulletin #046.

Total death toll nationwide also leaped to 558 with 28 new fatalities, while recoveries climbed to 1,023 after 48 more patients recovered from COVID-19.

Data from the DOH showed that the 19 accredited laboratories nationwide have tested 85,596 people as of Monday, 88.3 percent of whom tested negative while 11.6 percent were positive.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the country will not be able to meet its target testing capacity of 8,000 per day by Thursday after some 40 staff at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine contracted COVID-19.

On Tuesday, the health official said that the Philippines had increased its daily testing capacity to 6,320 tests./Stacy Ang