CORONAVIRUS disease (Covid-19) cases in Central Luzon are nearing the 200,000 mark as 2,204 new cases have been recorded on August 29, Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 190,542.

Of the confirmed cases, 167,277 cases have recovered, while 18,918 cases remain active. Some 4,347 people have died.

Some 23,805 cases have been recorded in Central Luzon since the start of the pandemic. Bulacan province, which has the greatest number of confirmed cases in the region, recorded 9,952 new cases in the last 14 days.

Pampanga recorded 4,669 new cases for the same period, along with Bataan with 2,655, Nueva Ecija with 2,154 and Tarlac with 1,442 cases in the last 14 days.

The surge in new cases in Central Luzon has brought its hospital bed occupancy rate to 74.1 percent. Some 3,604 beds in 177 health facilities in the region are currently occupied and only 1,261 beds remained vacant.

Sixty-five health facilities in the region are currently in critical level, while 22 others are at high risk of no longer able to take in new patients.