DOH lists over 18,000 new COVID-19 infections

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Thursday announced 18,191 new coronavirus cases, the third straight day the daily tally fell below 20,000.

Thursday’s tally pushed the nation’s caseload to 3,493,447. Of the total, 6.5% or 226,521 were active cases.

Ninety-seven percent of the newly-reported cases occurred from January 14 to 27, data from the Department of Health showed. The regions with the highest number of additional infections during that period were Calabarzon (2,101), Metro Manila (2,073), and Davao region (2,011)

The country’s death toll rose by 74 to 53,736, while recoveries increased by 22,014 to 3,213,190.

According to the DOH, 35.2% of 61,013 samples on January 25 tested positive for COVID-19, way above the threshold set by the World Health Organization.

Two testing laboratories did not submit data to the agency.

More Omicron cases

• The DOH reported 618 more cases of the Omicron variant, bringing the total to 1,153. The agency added the majority of Omicron cases in the latest batch were found to have the “stealth” sub-lineage of Omicron or BA.2.
• The Department of the Interior and Local Government reminded local chief executives and cops to strictly enforce restrictions on election-related activities in their areas.
• US biotech company Moderna began clinical trials of a booster dose of vaccine designed specifically to combat Omicron variant.

— Gaea Katreena Cabico