Philippines logs 1,583 new COVID-19 cases, total nears 529,000

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines on Tuesday reported 1,583 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 528,853.

The death toll climbed to 10,874 after 67 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. It added 39 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 487,611.

The Philippines, which has about 110 million population, has tested over 7.3 million people since the disease emerged in January last year.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said his government is doing its best to weather the crippling effects of the pandemic, voicing hope that the mass immunization against COVID-19 could revive the faltering economy.

Duterte encouraged the people to hope for the best, saying the country's best chance is through mass immunization.

Carlito Galvez, the National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer, said the Philippines expects to reach supply agreements with five COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers this month.

"We are expecting to thresh out the details of the supply agreements end of February," he said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday. (/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )