(Eagle News) — COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rose to 2,843,979 after the Department of Health reported additional 2,961 cases on Friday, Dec. 31.
The OCTA research group has said the COVID-19 reproduction rate was now at 2.19, the highest since July 2020.
According to the DOH, the active cases also rose to 14233.
Of the active cases, 628 were asymptomatic, 8365 were mild, 3197 were moderate, 1701 were severe, and 342 were critical.
Recoveries rose to 2778242 with the addition of 481 recoveries.
The COVID-19 death toll is now at 51504, with the addition of 132 deaths.
The DOH has expressed concern over the increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days, urging the public to remain cautious about the virus even when fully vaccinated, also amid the Omicron variant threat.
So far, the Philippines has reported four Omicron variant cases.
The World Health Organization has said the highly transmissible variant was “probably” already in most countries but remains undetected.
Researchers have found over 30 mutations in the spike protein of the variant that attaches to the human ACE-2, prompting them to say Omicron may evade existing immunity.
On Thursday, Dec. 30, the DOH urged the public to reassess its New Year celebration plans, cautioning against the possibility that 2022 would be a repeat of 2020, when hospitals were filled to the brim with COVID-19 patients.
