By Xave Gregorio - Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines recorded on Saturday its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day since the pandemic began.
The Department of Health reported that the country logged 26,458 new coronavirus infections, surpassing the previous peak during the Delta-driven surge of 26,303 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 2,936,875.
Meanwhile, the single-day death toll hit the highest in over two months, with the DOH reporting 265 new deaths, pushing the total number of fatalities to 52,135.
The DOH also reported 1,656 recoveries, bringing the total number of people who got well from the disease to 2,782,723.
Active cases are at its highest in nearly three months with 102,017 people still dealing with a coronavirus infection, according to the DOH.
As new coronavirus infections surge to its highest ever, which the government parly blamed on the local transmission of the Omicron variant, some experts are calling for the government’s pandemic task force to escalate the COVID-19 alert level over areas with increasing cases, particularly virus epicenter Metro Manila.
But presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion told One News’ “Agenda” that the government’s pandemic task force is not yet considering imposing a sweeping lockdown over Metro Manila.
Concepcion, however, admitted that “there are talks” about placing the capital region under Alert Level 4.
Hospital bed occupancy in Metro Manila is gradually increasing as cases rise, including in the Philippine General Hospital, a COVID-19 referral center, where its intensive care unit for coronavirus patients has hit full capacity.
PGH’s workforce is also stretched thin, with 25% of its healthcare workers having been infected with COVID-19. — with a report from Gaea Katreena Cabico
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