Manila [Philippines], June 23 (ANI/Xinhua): The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,353 new COVID-19 infections Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,372,232.

The death toll climbed to 23,928 after 119 more patients died from the viral disease, said the DOH, adding six testing laboratories failed to submit reports.

The Philippines, with a population of more than 110 million, has tested more than 13 million people since the epidemic outbreak in January 2020.

Metro Manila is now classified as a "low-risk area," said Alethea De Guzman of the DOH's Epidemiology Bureau in an online briefing, as the number of daily new cases in Metro.

Manila averaged 685 on June 16-22, lower than the 825 average recorded on June 9-15.The DOH said the number of cases outside of the capital region in the main Luzon showed signs of decline, except for one region in the northern Philippines.

"All areas in the Visayas (in the central Philippines) show an upward trend," the DOH said, adding that Mindanao in the south also exhibited a consistent increase in cases since the second week of June and currently has the highest number of new cases.

The DOH said that death trend in the country continued to show a slow decline, while "the case and death trends remain fragile." (ANI/Xinhua)

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