MANILA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health on Monday reported 2,638 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 359,169.
The department said 226 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 310,303. The death toll climbed to 6,675 after 26 more patients died from the viral disease.
The health department said it had tested over 4.13 million people so far in the country, which has a population of about 110 million.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Jojo Garcia on Monday said that Metro Manila mayors want to keep the general community quarantine status in the capital until Dec. 31, but with eased business, travel, and curfew restrictions to revitalize the economy.
Garcia said the mayors will submit a recommendation to the inter-agency coronavirus task force, which will then present it to President Rodrigo Duterte for approval.
He said the task force also approved "in principle" the proposal of the Metro Manila mayors to shorten curfew hours in Metro Manila, except for one city, from midnight to 4:00 a.m. starting this week.
Duterte imposed in mid-March a strict lockdown in Metro Manila and other high-risk regions to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Philippines is still under varying levels of lockdown as it grapples with a steady increase of COVID-19 cases. Enditem
