The Philippines now has 224,264 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease – the highest in Southeast Asia – as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,483 new cases on Tuesday, September 1.

The DOH reported 39 new deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 3,597, while the recoveries are up by 464, raising total recoveries to 158,012.

Of the total cases, 62,655 are active.

The latest DOH data showed that 1,824 or 52% of the 3,483 new cases were from Metro Manila. The rise in cases continues to strain hospitals in the capital region, where critical care capacity was at 68% – or at the “danger zone” – as of August 31.

There were 38 duplicates that were removed from the total case count. Of these, 11 recovered cases have been removed. At least 3 cases previously reported as recovered turned out to be deaths.

The DOH noted that COVID-19 figures undergo “constant cleaning and validation.”

Researchers studying the pandemic in the country have projected that COVID-19 cases in the Philippines might hit 375,000 by the end of September.

President Rodrigo Duterte kept Metro Manila and other nearby provinces to general community quarantine (GCQ) until September 30, while the rest of the country are under modified GCQ. (READ: Duterte keeps Metro Manila under GCQ until September 30)

On Monday, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said gyms, drive-in cinemas, internet cafes, and pet grooming services will once again be allowed to operate in areas under GCQ starting September 1. Aside from this, personal grooming services as well as testing, tutorial, and review centers will also be allowed to reopen.

Experts, however, urged caution over reopening these locations as they are known to carry high risks of transmission. – Rappler.com