MANILA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday 6,637 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,080,172.

The death toll climbed to 17,991 after 191 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The Philippines, with a population of about 110 million, has tested over 11 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.

The government is closely monitoring all travelers who arrived from India before a travel ban imposed on April 27, especially the five passengers that tested positive for COVID-19.

One of the five that tested positive is still isolated while the DOH verifies the disposition of the four others.

The DOH said that samples of the five positive cases are subjected to genomic sequencing to check if they carry new COVID-19 variants.

The government banned travelers from India on April 27. The ban is in place until May 14 as the South Asian country grapples with a record number of virus infections surge.

Starting Friday, the Philippines will also ban travelers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka or those who have been to these countries within 14 days before their travel to the Philippines. Enditem

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