Philippines' COVID-19 cases tops 2 million as Delta virus spreads

Manila [Philippines], September 1 (ANI/Xinhua): The Philippines crossed a grim milestone as COVID-19 caseload topped 2 million on Wednesday.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Southeast Asian country surged to 2,003,955 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 14,216 new daily infections on Wednesday.
The DOH also reported 86 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the country's death toll to 33,533.
"The relatively low number of cases today is due to lower laboratory output last Monday," the DOH said in a statement, adding that five laboratories failed to submit the data.
On Monday, the Philippines posted the highest single-day spike of 22,366 since the outbreak in January 2020.
The DOH said the community transmission of the highly contagious Delta variant will further drive up the number of infections in the country. In an online briefing on Tuesday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH expects the cases to peak by the middle of this month.
The Philippines, which has a population of around 110 million, has tested over 17.5 million people. (ANI/Xinhua)