COVID-19 cases in Philippines cross 4,000 mark

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - The total number of coronavirus cases in Philippines exceeded 4,000, as 206 new cases were reported over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

According to a ministry statement, 21 more patients died of the coronavirus, bringing the toll to 203 in the country.

In Malaysia, the number of COVID-19 cases reached 4,228, as 109 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, country’s health chief said at a news conference today.

Two more patients died over the past 24 hours, taking country’s toll to 67 cases, daily Star reported.

Malaysia’s Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the fatality rate remained at 1.58%.

He added that 1,608 patients have recovered from the disease since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Malaysia.

Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.

Nearly 1.5 million cases have been reported worldwide, with nearly 90,000 deaths, and almost 337,000 recoveries.