Philippines hits 2 million virus cases

The Philippines topped 2 million coronavirus cases Wednesday as the country battles a record surge in infections that the World Health Organization confirmed is being driven by the hyper-contagious delta strain.

In recent weeks, daily case rates have hit the highest levels since the start of the pandemic and the health department warned the trend could continue.

Wednesday’s official data show the country recorded 14,216 new infections, taking the total caseload to just over 2 million, with 33,533 deaths in the country of 110 million people.

“It is possible the number of COVID-19 cases will rise some more in the coming days,” the health department said Wednesday.