The Philippines’ tally of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases topped 67,000 on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 2,241 more infections, bringing the total to 67,456.

“As of 4PM today, July 19, 2020, the Department of Health reports the total number of COVID-19 cases at 67,456,” said DOH COVID-19 Case Bulletin #127.

“A total of 2,241 confirmed cases are reported based on the total tests done by 74 out of 84 current operational labs,” the DOH said.

The five provinces with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 1,625, Laguna with 115, Cavite with 76, Rizal with 75, and Cebu with 55.

DOH likewise announced 398 recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 22,465.

The death toll climbed to 1,831 with 58 new fatalities.

Of the 58 deaths, 25 (43%) were in July and 33 (57%) in June.

Deaths were from Region 7 (54 or 93%), NCR (1 or 2%), Region 1 (1 or 2%), Region 9 (1 or 2%), and Region 11 (1 or 2%).

“Eighty-nine  duplicates were removed from the total case count. The total cases reported may be subject to change as these numbers undergo constant cleaning and validation,” the DOH said.

There are also 43,160 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 90.1 percent of which are mild, 9.1 percent are asymptomatic, 0.4 percent are severe, and 0.4 percent are in critical condition.

As of July 18, the Philippines had 67 certified polymerase chain reaction facilities and 22 GeneXpert laboratories that had tested a total of 1,058,764 individuals.

Meanwhile, 47.4 percent of intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide were occupied while 24.3 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use./Stacy Ang