The Philippines' health ministry on Thursday reported 4,002 more novel coronavirus infections and 23 additional deaths in the country.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total number of confirmed cases in the Philippines had risen to 147,526, the highest in Southeast Asia, while confirmed deaths had reached 2,426.
The Philippines plans to launch clinical trials for a Russian coronavirus vaccine in October after Russia became the first country to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, drawing safety concerns over the frantic pace of its development.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Ed Davies)
