The death toll climbed to 15,594 after 148 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The Philippines continues to battle a surge in COVID-19 cases amid stringent lockdown measures to curb community transmission. The infection rate started to increase in late February, forcing the government to reintroduce curfew hours to limit the movement of people in Metro Manila and its four adjacent provinces.

The DOH said virus clusters are traced in the workplaces, non-essential gatherings, households, and transport systems. The Philippines continues to strengthen the capacity of hospitals in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the outbreak, to cope with the exponential spike in cases.

The Philippines, with a population of about 110 million, has tested over 10 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.