THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) reported 9,475 coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 721,892.

The death toll rose to 13,170 after 11 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 22,000 to 603,154, it said in a bulletin.

There were 105,568 active cases, 95.5% of which were mild, 2.5% did not show symptoms, 0.7% were critical, 0.8% were severe and 0.43% were moderate.

The agency said 25 duplicates had been removed from the tally, while four recovered cases were reclassified as deaths. Seven laboratories failed to submit data on Mar. 27.

About 9.4 million Filipinos have been tested for the coronavirus as of Mar. 26, according to DoH’s tracker website.

The coronavirus has sickened about 127.3 million and killed 2.8 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization. About 102.6 million people have recovered, it said.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte placed Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal under the strictest lockdown level from March 29 to April 4 amid a fresh surge in cases, his spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said at the weekend.

An 11-hour curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m, will also be imposed.

Meanwhile, vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said the rules that would enforce the government’s vaccination program, which have been finalized, would strengthen its partnership with the private sector in the purchase and rollout of coronavirus vaccines.

The rules would also address issues about liability and support companies and local government units (LGU) that have bought vaccines for their workers and constituents, he said in a statement at the weekend.

“With the implementing rules in place, we have now set a clear pathway for LGUs and the private sector to actively take part in the nation’s vaccine procurement,” Mr. Galvez said.

“We are looking forward to strengthening our collaboration with other sectors as we continue our fight against this pandemic,” he added.

Under the rules, companies and local government may buy vaccines in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and National Task Force Against COVID-19, Mr. Galvez said. He did not elaborate.

Critics earlier accused health authorities of preventing certain companies from buying vaccine shots for their workers.

They also accused the agencies of requiring companies to donate half of their vaccines to the National Government.

Mr. Galvez said companies “generously offered to give a percentage of the vaccines they procured to the government, while also ensuring an adequate supply for their employees.” The companies had not been forced to donate the vaccines, he added.

He said companies led by businessmen Jose Mari A. Concepcion III, Jaime Augusto Z. Ayala, Mr. Enrique K. Razon, Lance Y. Gokongwei, Ramon S. Ang and Teresita Sy-Coson had volunteered to donate half of their vaccine supply bought from AstraZeneca, Plc.

At least 39 local governments have also entered into a supply deal with AstraZeneca.

Mr. Galvez earlier said it was AstraZeneca that required private companies to donate a portion of their vaccines to the government. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

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