The mortality curve from COVID-19 cases has started to increase , Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Monday.

"On our mortality curve, since September it continues to decline, but in the mid-January we see that the number of fatalities increase," Duque told President Rodrigo Duterte during the Talk to the People.

"In fact, Mr. President, as of January, we have recorded 594 deaths or on the average of around 25 deaths per day. That is what we see. The mortality or deaths has started to rise again based on this curve," he added.

Duque said a total of 47 deaths were recorded on Monday from COVID-19, while the recorded number of additional cases is 24,938 with total cases of 3.4 million and an active case of 262,997.

"Most of the fatalities are senior citizens or those with illness. Our case fatality rate is at 1.5 percent," he added.

"Severe and critical cases are less than one percent of the total cases. It is lower which is really good in the sense that it appears that the vaccines are really working. Our recovery is at 90.8 percent, that’s 3.1 million thereabouts," he said. Robina Asido/DMS