By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Philippines Department of Health reported an additional 3,714 new COVID-19 cases today, including 1,797 in Metro Manila, 390 in Negros Occidental and 248 in Batangas.

Image/DOH

This brings the outbreak total to 232,072 in the Philippines.

In addition, 49 new deaths were reported, bringing the country’s total fatalities caused by COVID-19 at 3,737.

In a media briefing today, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said their is not a new, more pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 strain in the country, as being circulated on social media.

Philippines reports dengue deaths are down dramatically

“There is no new strain of the virus here in the Philippines. It is very dangerous and irresponsible to say that we now have a different strain here in the country”.

She said the DOH previously detected the G614 variant of SARS-CoV-2 and while this specific strain is said to have an increased viral load, “this does not automatically mean that it is more infectious nor it is more fatal”.