Philippines logs 9,661 new Covid cases

Manila, April 24 (IANS) The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Saturday 9,661 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 989,380.The death toll climbed to 16,674 after 145 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stressed the need to remain vigilant, adding that the transmission rate in the country is still high, the Xinhua news agency reported."We see a slight decline in the average daily reported cases. We want this downward trend to continue, so we must not be complacent," Vergeire said in a televised press conference on Saturday.The Philippines, which has about 110 million population, has tested more than 10.5 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.
--IANS int/rs