PH records 866 new COVID-19 cases; lowest tally since start of 2022

(FILE PHOTO) Health workers in hazmat suits walk outside the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital in Manila, Philippines, September 7, 2021. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Wednesday logged 866 new COVID-19 cases. According to the Department of Health (DOH), this was the lowest tally since the start of 2022, and after the surge fueled by the Omicron variant.

This is the second time the number of infections dipped to less than 1,000 this year, the first was on Feb. 28 with 951 cases.

Based on the DOH’s case bulletin, 87 percent or 757 of the new COVID-19 cases were recorded within the last 14 days, with Metro Manila listed as the top region logging the highest number of new infections at 176 (26 percent) in the recent two weeks.

The DOH also recorded a 4.7 percent positivity rate in the 23,738 tests conducted nationwide on Feb. 28.

This is below the World Health Organization’s threshold indicating controlled transmission of the SARS-CoV-2, which is at 5 percent.

The DOH also logged 1,622 recoveries, reducing the number of active infections to 50,827.

Of the active cases, 91.4 percent are currently suffering mild or asymptomatic cases; specifically, 45,862 individuals are experiencing mild infections, 474 are asymptomatic, 2,779 are moderate, 1,417 are severe, and 298 are critical.

The DOH also logged an additional 53 deaths, 23 of which occurred in February while the rest occurred in previous months.

With this, the total confirmed infections are now at 3,663,920, while recoveries are at 3,556,589 and the death toll is at 56,504.

The DOH said it removed five duplicates from the total case count, including three recoveries.

It also reclassified 46 cases as deaths, after being previously tagged as recoveries.

/MUF