CONFIRMED cases of coronavirus infection in the country continued to accelerate, with the Department of Health (DOH) reporting 284 new cases in the last 24 hours.
As of 4 p.m. Monday, May 25, 2020, the total number of cases has gone up to 14,319.
For a second consecutive day, DOH reported five additional deaths, raising the death toll to 873.
The number of patients who have recovered increased to 3,323, with 74 survivors reported in the last 24 hours.
Of the total cases, 10,123 are considered active.
Among the 284 new cases are 171 from the National Capital Region, or Metro Manila, 70 from Central Visayas and 43 from other regions.
Meanwhile, the DOH said 27 provinces recorded no new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the last two weeks.
The DOH online tracker listed 23 Covid-free provinces as of May 24.
These are Abra, Batanes, Quirino, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Aurora, Masbate, Guimaras, Siquijor, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawo-Tawi, Camiguin and Davao Oriental.
The areas of Sulu, Abra, Camiguin and Davao Oriental recorded Covid-19 patients in their areas during the past few weeks, but all of them have either recovered or died.
The following areas that were previously reported to have zero cases now have residents with Covid-19: Camarines Norte, two; Sorsogon, one; Davao Occidental, one; Sarangani, one; Surigao del Norte, one; Bohol, one; and Misamis Occidental, three.
In Metro Manila, Quezon City had the highest number of Covid-19 patients at 1,920, including 159 mortalities and 578 recoveries as of May 24.
In Cebu City, the City Health Department (CHD) recorded 56 recoveries and 27 new Covid-19 cases.
The 56 recoveries came from Barangays Labangon (29), Carreta (23), Lahug (two), Inayawan (one) and Luz (one).
Some 174 patients have so far recovered from Covid-19 in the city.
The 27 new Covid-19 cases came from Barangays Duljo (seven), Pahina San Nicolas (one), Mambaling (four), Punta Princesa (one), Basak San Nicolas (one), Camputhaw (two), Labangon (one), Sambag 2 (three), Capitol (one), Tisa (one), Suba (one), Lorega (one), Tejero (one), San Antonio (one) and Sawang Calero (one).
Cebu City has 1,896 Covid-19 cases and 23 deaths.
Four more police officers also tested positive for Covid-19. Three are assigned at the Mabolo Police Station, while the other is assigned at the Regional Health Service 7, but is a resident of Talisay City.
More than 20 police officers in Cebu have tested positive for Covid-19 and all of them are asymptomatic.
Mandaue City also recorded six new Covid-19 cases on May 25.
Four are inmates at the Mandaue City Jail. One is a 48-year-old female from Cabatingan Compound in Barangay Maguikay. She died last May 22, but her swab result came in on Monday.
The other patient is a five-year-old boy who lives inside the Cebu International Convention Center in Barangay Guizo.
Mandaue has 229 Covid-19 cases with four deaths. Majority of the cases, or 190, are inmates at the city jail. (JTM of SunStar Philippines, JJL, KFD, AYB)