Philippines posts 1,019 more COVID-19 cases; DOH cites low laboratory output

MANILA, February 23 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday announced 1,019 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily tally so far this year, bringing the country's total to 3,654,284. The positivity rate is at 6.4 percent, based on test results of samples from 18,177 people on Feb. 20, Sunday, according to the latest DOH bulletin. "Please note that lower reported numbers and positivity rate today are because these are Sunday laboratory outputs, which traditionally have the lowest outputs per week," the health agency said. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said earlier in the day that the number of COVID-19 cases in all island groups of the country is plateauing, following a surge observed since late December until January due to the omicron variant.

Philippines' COVID-19 cases 'plateauing': DOH

Of the newly reported cases, 982 or 96 percent occurred within the last 14 days. Metro Manila (197 cases), Calabarzon (124 cases) and Ilocos region (85 cases) were the top regions with cases in the recent two weeks. The number of fresh infections is the lowest since Dec. 29, when 889 cases were announced, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group. It is the fourth straight day that the daily tally remained below 2,000 and the fourth consecutive day it broke the record for fewest new cases, the group said.

The country's active infections stood at 56,668, or 1.6 percent of the cumulative total. This is the lowest number of active cases since Jan. 6, when 56,561 active infections were reported, the ABS-CBN IRG said. They are broken down as follows: 304 critical, 1,425 severe, 2,840 moderate, 51,395 mild, and 704 asymptomatic. Vergeire said only 12 percent to 15 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are in severe and critical conditions, proving, according to her, that vaccines are effective.

The latest DOH bulletin showed that COVID-related deaths increased by 13 to 55,776. Of the newly reported deaths, six occurred this month, five last month, and one each in October and September last year. This is the lowest daily death toll since Feb. 7, when 12 deaths were recorded, excluding zero deaths announced last Feb. 13, the ABS-CBN IRG said.

There were 2,988 more recoveries reported, raising the total to 3,541,840. Some 260 duplicates, including 240 recoveries, were removed from the total case count, while 13 cases previously tagged as recuperations were reclassified as deaths after final validation, the DOH said. It added that one case, classified as a recovery, was found to have tested negative and has been removed from the total case count.

Five laboratories, which contribute on average 1.5 percent of samples tested and 0.7 percent of positive cases, were unable to submit their data, the DOH said. The intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization rate in Metro Manila and nationwide was at 26 percent and 29 percent, respectively.

Vergeire said all regions in the country have a negative two-week growth rate and are under low risk case classification except for the Cordilleras and Davao region. The national healthcare capacity is under low risk classification while Davao region's intensive care unit occupancy is at a moderate risk 58 percent, she added. "Lahat din po ng island groups--Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao--ay nagpapakita na ng unti-unting pagbaba ng mga kaso. Sa lahat po ng rehiyon mas mababa na po sa 1,000 ang naitatalang mga kaso kada araw para sa linggong ito," she told reporters.

The DOH earlier attributed the decline in virus cases to a wide vaccination coverage. The public is urged to get their booster shots as 23 million out of 33.5 million individuals eligible for the jab have yet to receive it, according to acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles. The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 62.65 million people while 61.9 million others have received an initial dose and 9.8 million booster shots have been administered as of Monday, according to data gathered by the ABS-CBN IRG.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com