The Philippines on Thursday recorded another jump in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to overtake neighbouring Indonesia as the country with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the eastern part of Asia.
A recent surge in cases of the virus in and around the capital Manila has pushed authorities to re-impose a lockdown affecting around a quarter of the country’s 107 million people.
The Philippines recorded 3 561 new infections on Thursday, taking its total confirmed cases to 119 460. That is higher than Indonesia’s 118 753 infection cases.
The death toll rose by 28 to 2 150, which is less than half of Indonesia’s 5 521 fatalities, but is expected to grow after the recent spike in cases.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced late on Sunday a two-week lockdown in and around Manila, which accounts for two-thirds of the country’s economic output.
The restrictions, which came into effect on Tuesday, were reinstated after a group of doctors and nurses warned that the healthcare system could collapse as a result of a surging number of virus patients.
