Philippine COVID deaths may be double the current number

The total number is at 105,425 as of October 2021 - nearly double the government's current official figures [Maria Tan/AFP]

Deaths in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be double the health department’s official numbers, according to a new government report, as the country battles a record-breaking wave of the pandemic due to the Omicron variant.

In a preliminary report released on Monday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) put “registered deaths due to COVID-19” at 75,285 from January to October 2021.