The positivity rate – or percentage of tested people with positive results – again reached its earlier peak of 28% based on 74,034 tests reported on September 2.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 4) — The country recorded 20,741 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, logging over 20,000 for the second straight day, and once again reaching a new record for the second highest daily tally, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
The DOH’s latest case bulletin counted a total of 2,061,084 infections in the country with 7.6% or 157,646 active cases or people currently sick. At least 94.7% of them have mild symptoms, 1.9% are asymptomatic, 1.6% are in moderate condition, 1.2% have severe symptoms, and 0.6% are in critical condition.
The death toll also surpassed 34,000 at 34,062 – which is 1.65% of the case count – after 189 more people lost their lives to the disease. Meanwhile, 21,962 others got better, raising the number of recoveries to 1,869,376 – or 90.7% of the nationwide tally.
The DOH said it reclassified 81 survivors into deaths after validation, and deleted 225 duplicate cases, including 206 recoveries.
The total excluded data from five laboratories that failed to submit their reports on time, the department added. These laboratories contributed an average of 1.5% of tested samples and 1.8% of positive individuals in the last 14 days.
A percentage of above 20% is considered at critical level, which means testing efforts are inadequate, according to US nonprofit Covid Act Now, which OCTA researchers use as reference. Covid Act Now says an area has adequate testing when its positivity rate is below 3%.
The World Health Organization has set the standard positivity rate to below 5% to show that the infection in an area has been controlled.
On Wednesday, Testing czar Vince Dizon admitted that the government’s efforts to test people for the coronavirus have not been enough. However, he maintained that they have to follow guidelines such as testing only symptomatic patients, contacts, and those in high-risk areas.
