THE Department of Health yesterday reported 4,600 new COVID-19 cases, the first time the country saw more than 4,000 cases since Oct. 30, 2021 when 4,008 new infections were recorded.
The new cases of coronavirus disease bring the total in the country to 2,851,931.
The number of cases dropped to a low of 168 on December 21 but in the final days of 2021, cases began to spike with 889 reported on December 29, another 1,623 on December 30, and 2,961 on December 31. On the first day of 2022, the DOH recorded 3,617 new cases.
The DOH said the positivity rate in the Philippines stood at 19.6 percent, from 26,122 tested samples on December 31.
The DOH also reported 25 additional deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 51,570.
The case fatality rate stands at 1.81 percent.
As to recovered patients, the health department reported 535 additional recoveries, bringing the total to about 2.8 million.
Recovery rate stood at 97.4 percent, the DOH said.
There are still 21,418 active COVID-19 cases, with over 15,600 being mild cases and more than 3,000 moderate cases.
Back in mid-December, the DOH projected that the active cases may stand at 8,600 by December 31 and 9,338 by January 31 due to holiday gatherings and increased mobility of the public, and a decline in adherence to health protocols. At that time, the active COVID-19 cases nationwide stood at 11,373.
Among the new cases is Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano who was first infected with the virus in February last year.
The mayor’s chief of staff, Eric Pardo, said Calixto-Rubiano is “symptomatic” and started feeling unwell last Saturday as she was having a sore throat.
Pardo also said the mayor attended yesterday’s meeting of the Metro Manila Council via zoom.
“The mayor will continue to discharge her functions as the local chief executive, and will hold online meetings while she recuperates,” he said. — With Noel Talacay
