The Philippines logged 17,220 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with the highest positivity rate to date, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Thursday’s tally brought the total number of cases to 2,888,917, as the positivity rate shot up to 36.9 percent—or more than one in three Filipinos testing positive for the coronavirus, based on 59,847 tests conducted on Jan. 4.
This was well above the World Health Organization’s recommended positivity rate of under 5 percent, signaling a high transmission rate.
The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were Metro Manila (National Capital Region) with 11,563 or 68 percent; Region 4-A (Calabarzon) with 3,165 or 19 percent; and Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 1,126 or 7 percent.
There were 81 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 51,743.
The DOH also reported 616 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,780,613.
There were 56,561 active cases, of which 1,837 are asymptomatic; 49,988 mild; 2,954 moderate; 1,470 severe; and 312 critical.
Nationwide, 31 percent of ICU beds, 34 percent of isolation beds, 27 percent of ward beds, and 14 percent of ventilators, were in use.
In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 42 percent of isolation beds, 50 percent of ward beds, and 18 percent of ventilators, were in use.
The Philippines has detected 29 more cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, raising its total to 43, the DOH said earlier in the day.
The additional cases are composed of 10 returning Filipinos and 19 local cases with addresses in Metro Manila, the DOH said in a statement.
Of the 19 local cases, 14 remain active, three have recovered, while the status of two patients is still being verified, it said.
The new Omicron cases were detected from 48 samples sequenced on Jan. 2.
Aside from these 29 Omicron cases, there were 18 positive for the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant while one had no lineage assigned.
The latest sequencing run was composed of samples from 19 returning overseas Filipinos and 29 local cases from areas with case clusters.
Of the additional 18 Delta variant cases, eight were returning overseas Filipinos.
This update brings the total number of confirmed Delta variant cases to 8,497.
“The DOH strongly encourages eligible individuals, especially our senior citizens, those with comorbidities, and children to get vaccinated and boosted immediately. Vaccines are still our best defense and proven to be safe, effective, and free,” the DOH said.
“Let’s not be agents of transmission and prevent further spread of the virus as more transmission means more mutations. At the earliest signs of symptoms, remember to isolate immediately and do the right test at the right time,” it added.
Meanwhile, the independent OCTA Research Group said it was too early to say if COVID-19 cases will reach their peak by the end of January, as the DOH projected.