More ‘late’ reports come in as PH Covid-19 cases rise to 18,638

Vergeire emphasized that real-time reporting of the Covid-19 cases could only begin when all of the laboratories consistently submit their daily reports and use the Covid Kaya application. (PIA file photo)

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported 552 additional coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the country, raising the total number of cases to 18,638.

In its case bulletin, the DOH said 433 of the new cases are “late” or results belatedly reported and were only verified recently, while 119 are “fresh cases”.

Of the fresh cases, 94 are from the National Capital Region (NCR), one from Region 7 (Central Visayas), 20 from other regions, and four are repatriates.

Meanwhile, 137 of the late cases are from NCR, 98 from Central Visayas, 16 are repatriates, and the remaining 182 are from other regions.

The DOH also reported 70 new recovered cases and three new deaths.

To date, the total number of recoveries nationwide is 3,979 while the death toll is 960.

“In the late cases, we have reported 433, this comes from two reports — from the ongoing aggressive data reconciliation by the epidemiology bureau and the daily report submitted by our laboratories but the test results were already available before, it’s like a school report that you submit today but the deadline was four days (ago),” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Covid-19 virtual presser.

Vergeire emphasized that real-time reporting of the Covid-19 cases could only begin when all of the laboratories consistently submit their daily reports and use the Covid Kaya application.

“We are urging our laboratories to provide the Filipino people with this crucial information,” she added.