AFTER three straight days of record setting numbers, new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines showed no signs of slowing down, with 37,154 new infections reported by the Department of Health yesterday, along with 287,856 active cases.
In its latest bulletin, the DOH said the total number of cases in the country rose to 3,205,396, counting the record-high of 39,004 new cases last Saturday, along with 37,207 last Friday and 34,021 last Thursday.
The current positivity rate in the Philippines stood at 47.4 percent among the 81,381 tested samples on January 14.
The DOH also reported 50 additional deaths, raising the toll to 52,907 for a case fatality rate of 1.65 percent.
Of the active cases, over 273,000 are mild cases while more than 9,200 are asymptomatic cases.
The DOH also reported 30,037 additional recoveries, raising the number of survivors to 2,864,633.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announced that he has tested positive for the deadly virus after experiencing some symptoms.
Sotto made the announcement on his Facebook page Saturday night, saying that he is experiencing sore throat, fever, and body aches.
He assured the public that he is okay and will work remotely while in isolation for the next seven days.
“I had a lot of close calls with the Delta variant (such as what happened to my driver) but I was not infected. The spread of the Omicron variant really is threatening, some experts say that all of us will be exposed to this variant,” he said.
PNP chief Dionardo Carlos yesterday said he has already recovered from COVID-19, several days after he tested positive for the virus.
“I am now on full duty status because I tested negative last Friday and I am performing duty already yesterday and today,” Carlos said in a radio interview.
Carlos, his aide, and his driver tested positive for the virus last January 2 and promptly went on isolation. He has said he was infected with suspected Omicron variant.
Carlos said that while the Omicron variant is highly contagious, its symptoms are only mild, especially if one has been vaccinated.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who contracted the virus for the third time last January 10, said he is due to undergo a COVID test today, Monday.
“I am okay, I only have super mild symptoms. I am going to undergo a test tomorrow, tomorrow in my seventh day… I only had headache for two days, stuffy nose and sore throat” said Año.
The PNP reported 295 new cases among police personnel, raising active cases in the police force to 3,982 from just 28 as of December 31.
A total of 45,542 cases have so far been reported in the PNP since March 2020, with 41,435 recoveries and 125 deaths. — With Victor Reyes and Christian Oineza
