Local health authorities on Thursday reported 5,735 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national caseload to 1,572,287.

Authorities also managed to surpass their daily vaccination target of 500,000 — administering a record high 659,029 doses on Tuesday and over 534,612 shots on Wednesday. 

Sen. Richard Gordon was admitted to Makati Medical Center Wednesday night “for observation and further testing” after he contracted the coronavirus, his office announced.

The Department of Justice will speed up its investigation into Bureau of Immigration personnel linked to the “pastillas” scheme, Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

The Department of Health said 88 of the additional infections are local cases, six are returning Filipinos from overseas and three still up for verification. 

The order covers a million people in Iloilo City, Iloilo province, Cagayan de Oro, and Gingoog City. The areas will stay in Enhanced Community Quarantine until August 7. 

The average daily cases in the Philippines jumped to 6,029 per day from July 22 to 28. In the previous week, the average was 5,576.

The Department of Health on Thursday said deploying cops awaiting the results of their COVID-19 test for the President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address is a breach of protocol.

"The China team was a little angry with [my coach] because he didn't share where my strength was," she said in Filipino. 

"This should serve as a reminder to all our commanders to exercise prudence and to strictly abide with our existing protocols amid the serious threat of COVID-19, especially with the rising number of infection from the Delta variant," Eleazar said.