DOH reports 603 new COVID-19 infections; active cases at 13,853

The Department of Health logged 603 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the country's total tally to 2,834,775.

The new cases brought the country's active case count to 13,853, of which 5,532 are mild, 1,270 are asymptomatic, 2,410 are severe, and 738 are in critical condition.

According to the DOH, only 1.8% of the 35,950 individuals tested were found positive for COVID-19 on December 3.

Total recoveries increased to 2,771,536 after 1,047 more patients defeated the viral disease.

The death toll climbed to 49,386 with 156 new fatalities.

The DOH noted that of the 156 reported deaths, only 12 occurred in December 2021.

"Thirty-six percent of the reported deaths today occurred in November 2021 due to late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya. This issue is currently being coordinated with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure information is up to date," the DOH said.

The DOH also noted that six duplicates were removed, while 116 cases found to have tested negative have been removed from the total case count.

Meanwhile, 115 cases previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

The DOH said two laboratories were not operational on December 3, while four laboratories were not able to submit their data.

The latest data from the DOH also showed that 26% of the country’s intensive care unit beds were utilized, while 14% of the mechanical ventilators were in use.

In Metro Manila, 28% of the ICU beds were utilized, while 17% of the ventilators were in use. — DVM, GMA News