THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) reported 3,550 coronavirus  disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections on Wednesday, bringing the total to 272,934.

The death toll rose by 69 to 4,732, while recoveries increased by 524 to 207,858, it said in a bulletin.

There were 60,344 active cases, 87.7% of which were mild, 8.4% did not show symptoms, 1.2% were severe and 2.7% were critical.

Metro Manila reported the highest number of new cases with 1,459, followed by Rizal with 271, Cavite with 196 and Bulacan and Laguna with 172 each.

Of the new reported deaths, 24 came from Metro Manila, 19 from the Calabarzon region, 10 from Western Visayas and six from Central Visayas.

Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, and Mimaropa regions reported two deaths each, while Central Luzon and Bicol region reported one death each. More than 3 million people have been tested for COVID-19, it said.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit seeking to compel the government to conduct mass coronavirus testing.

In a four-page order dated Sept. 1, the court noted that while it is the government’s duty to protect public health, it can’t be compelled to do this in “a certain way or degree.”

“The job of the court is to say what the law is, not dictate how another branch of government should do its job,” it said.

“Without a demonstration that an official in the executive branch failed to perform a mandatory, nondiscretionary duty, courts have no authority to issue a writ of mandamus, no matter how dire the emergency,” it added.

Associate Justice Mario Marvic Leonen dissented, saying the government should have been ordered first to comment on the lawsuit.

He said the issues raised “are important and have far-reaching implications and this Court should not pass up the opportunity to address them after hearing both parties.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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