Philippines' COVID-19 count nears 2 million with 13,827 new cases by end-August

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines ended August with 13,827 more coronavirus cases, its total count nearing two million and the World Health Organization saying the Delta variant is now dominant in the country. 

Newly reported figures pushed the country's overall caseload to 1,989,857. Active cases were also down by 3,032 from the 148,594 on August 30. 

The Department of Health said eight laboratories did not submit test results. 

• Active cases: 145,562 or 7.3% of the total


• Recoveries: 16,759, bringing the number to 1,810,847


• Deaths: 118, or now 33,448 in total

Delta now 'dominant variant'

• The World Health Organization said the Delta variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant variant in the country. It added there is now community transmission of the Delta at home, seeing the variant in the majority of samples for genome sequencing. 


• DOH reported it has disbursed P237.28 million worth of special risk allowance to health workers. That amounts to 76.29% of the P311 million in total it got from the Department of Budget and Management for some 20,208 medical personnel. 


• There are now 2,684 inmates at the Bureau of Corrections vaccinated for COVID-19. The number, however, remains a small percentage out of the overall 48,000 prisoners in BuCor's facilities. 


• The Philippines vowed to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar, but it is unclear how many doses it would send as the country is struggling too in terms of supply.