MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health said Wednesday the increase in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has become “more evident” as Mindanao and parts of Luzon experience spike in infections. The department observed that cases in Mindanao and the rest of Luzon “outpaced” those in the “NCR Plus” areas. De Guzman said there is “slight upward trend” in “NCR Plus” areas, while there is gradual increase in COVID-19 infections in Visayas. The DOH official urged the local governments to reduce the time spent between detecting COVID-19 cases and isolating them, and the public to continue following health protocols. The Philippines, which has one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Southeast Asia, has tallied 1.2 million cases, including 21,158 deaths.

Source: Philippine Star June 03, 2021 08:03 UTC