Philippines logs 23,134 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 2,347,550

Manila [Philippines], September 18 (ANI/Xinhua): The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 23,134 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 2,347,550.
The DOH also reported 255 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the country's death toll to 36,583.
Saturday's caseload is the second-highest one-day tally since the outbreak.
On Sept. 11, the DOH reported its highest ever daily tally, with 26,303 cases, and the number of active cases in the country has reached 184,088.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Metro Manila and 93 other areas across the country are on alert level 4 on a scale of 5 due to high infections and the lack of hospital beds.
"The number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila continues to rise, increasing 8 percent in the last seven days," Vergeire told a televised press conference.
Vergeire said the COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, home to over 13 million people, have not peaked yet. "At this point in our analysis, we have not observed that the cases have peaked," she said, adding the DOH is still studying the trend.
Vergeire said the increasing trend is the same across the country.
"Nationally, we still have a positive two-week growth rate and an 18-percent average daily attack rate in recent one to two weeks, and it even increased from the previous three to four weeks," she said.
Aside from Metro Manila, Vergeire said 11 of the country's 17 regions are classified as "high-risk."
The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested nearly 19 million people since the outbreak in January 2020. (ANI/Xinhua)