MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines recorded 1,214 new COVID-19 cases from May 16 to 22, the Department of Health said Monday.
The daily case average during that period was 173, which was 9.9% higher than a week earlier. Of the additional infections, 14 had severe and critical illness.
The DOH has recorded more than 3.68 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started in 2020. There are currently 718 severe and critical admissions, which represent 12.9% of total COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
Data from the health department showed that 15.4% of 2,812 intensive care unit beds nationwide have been used, while 17.4% of 23,697 non-ICU beds have been utilized.
The DOH also verified six deaths during the past week. Over 60,000 people have died in the Philippines since the beginning of the health crisis.
According to the DOH, over 69 million Filipinos have been fully immunized against COVID-19.
Of the figure, only 13.8 million have received booster shots.
Last week, the agency announced the detection of BA.4 Omicron variant in the country.
It also reminded the public that continued compliance with health standards and vaccination are the most effective ways to protect oneself against new COVID-19 variants and the post-COVID-19 condition, also known as "long COVID."