Philippines logs 19,271 new COVID-19 cases

The DOH also reported 205 new deaths from the pandemic, raising the coronavirus-related death toll to 36,788.

The DOH said at least 24,686 medical frontline workers, largely nurses and physicians, contracted the virus.

Hospitals in Metro Manila and its adjacent areas are short-staffed as the country battles the infection surge. The government is finding ways to augment the capacity of hospitals and facilities so as not to let the healthcare system be overwhelmed.

COVID-19 is surging throughout the country, with the daily case average rising to the top 20,000. The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested nearly 19 million people for the coronavirus infection since the outbreak in January 2020.