Philippines: More cases of Covid-19 virus variant detected; 1,888 new cases reported as total hits 561,169.

Pedestrians wearing protective masks cross a road in Cotabato City, Mindanao, the Philippines. On Sunday, the DOH reported an additional 18 Filipinos that tested positive for the more contagious coronavirus variant first found in Britain, bringing cases in the country to 62. - Bloomberg

MANILA, Feb 21 (Xinhua): The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported on Sunday 1,888 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the South-East Asian country to 561,169.

The death toll climbed to 12,088 after 20 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said, adding that 9,737 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 522,843.