MANILA, Philippines -- A total of 29,374 people in the country have now died due to COVID-19, according to government data, as the health agency reported Wednesday the passing of 154 more coronavirus patients.

Nationwide COVID-19 cases stood at 1,688,040 as of August 11, the Department of Health (DOH) also said, and that based on this tally, the country's COVID-19 fatality rate was at 1.74 percent.

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According to the DOH's epidemiology bureau, deaths triggered by COVID-19 are declining, citing information on the date of actual deaths which showed that an average of 133 patients died per day in April this year when the country saw a surge in cases.

The bureau said deaths then decreased to 117 fatalities daily in May, 95 in June, and 61 in July.

For August so far, the total number of deaths by date of reporting in case bulletins has reached 1,486, for an average of 135 deaths being added to the count per day.

Meanwhile, the government said 81,399 COVID-19 cases remain active and that 1.6 percent of them are severe and 1 percent are critical or are at higher risk for death, while 94.8 percent are mild, 1.5 percent are asymptomatic, and 1.15 percent have moderate infections.