Philippines logs 7,058 new COVID-19 cases, total at 1,223,627

The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported Sunday 7,058 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,223,627.

The death toll rose to 20,860 after 139 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The Philippines, which has more than 110 million population, has tested over 12 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.

The DOH has previously reported more than 8,000 cases on Friday, the highest in nearly a month.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said over the weekend that "cases have started to plateau based on the average daily cases reported in the previous weeks."Vergeire said "the numbers continue to go down in Metro Manila and the adjacent provinces, but the rate of decline is slower in recent weeks."

Meanwhile, all regions in the Visayas in the central Philippines showed "a gradual increase in cases," she said.

In southern Philippine Mindanao island, Vergeire said that all regions "showed sustained growth in cases with three regions showing faster increase this week." (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )