Philippines logs 1,574 new Covid-19 cases and 40 deaths on Tuesday (Sept 13); govt extends calamity status to December

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has extended the Covid-19 pandemic state of calamity until the end of this year as the country continues to deal with the infectious disease, Press Secretary Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles has announced. - Image from Reuters

MANILA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua): The Philippines reported 1,574 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the South-East Asian country to 3,909,772.

The Department of Health said the number of active cases dipped to 24,502, while 40 more patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 62,382.

Metro Manila, the capital region with over 13 million people, tallied 665 new cases.

The Philippines reported its highest COVID-19 single-day tally of 39,004 new cases on Jan. 15. The country, with a population of around 110 million, has fully vaccinated over 72.7 million people.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has extended the Covid-19 pandemic state of calamity until the end of this year as the country continues to deal with the infectious disease, Press Secretary Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles has announced

In a press conference, Angeles said the state of calamity is extended "possibly for three months but only to preserve the benefits under it, such as but not limited to the indemnification, emergency procurement, special risk allowance for healthcare workers."

The state of calamity was declared by former President Rodrigo Duterte in March 2020, and has been extended for twice until Sept 12 this year.

Under the state of calamity, authorities are allowed to "monitor and control prices of basic necessities and prime commodities; and provide basic services to the affected populations."

The Philippines now has over 3.9 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, including more than 62,000 deaths. - Xinhua