MANILA, Jan 6 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines reported today, the highest positivity rate for coronavirus tests at 36.9 percent, and 17,220 new COVID-19 infections, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the country to 2,888,917.
The Department of Health (DOH) said, there are now 43 confirmed Omicron variant cases in the Philippines, after detecting 29 more cases. Of these 43 cases, 21 are imported and 22 are local cases.
The DOH said, 81 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country’s death toll to 51,743. The DOH said, the country’s death rate has declined since vaccines became available.
The circulating highly transmissible Omicron and Delta variants are driving the rapid spread of infections, putting the country back to a “high-risk” COVID-19 classification. The hospitalisation rate also increased across the country and Metro Manila.
To curb the spread of the virus, the government has banned mass gatherings and urged unvaccinated people in Metro Manila and areas near the capital region, to stay home.
The country has grappled with three waves of infections since the pandemic started. The DOH reported its highest case count on Sept 11, 2021, with 26,303 cases.
The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested nearly 24 million people since the outbreak.– NNN-PNA
