PH logs over 39,000 COVID-19 cases in yet another record-high
The Department of Health (DOH) on Jan. 15 reported yet another record-high 39,004 new COVID-19 cases, in the country's fourth straight day of daily fresh infections above the 30,000 mark.
Ngayong 4 PM, Enero 15, 2022, ang Department of Health ay nakapagtala ng 39,004 na karagdagang kaso ng COVID-19. Samantala ay mayroon namang naitalang 23,613 na gumaling at 43 na pumanaw.
Sa kabuuang bilang ng mga naitalang kaso sa bansa, 8.9% (280,813) ang aktibong kaso, pic.twitter.com/7ibaGjcaDE— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) January 15, 2022
The latest tally exceeded Jan. 14's record 37,207 new daily cases since the onset of the pandemic.
The DOH's Jan. 15 COVID-19 bulletin showed that active COVID-19 cases are already over 280,000, in yet another all-time high. It's also the country's fourth consecutive day of its active case count surpassing the 200,000 mark. It last happened on April 17, 2021, when it logged 203,710 cases.
Of over 78,000 individuals tested as of Jan. 13, the DOH said 47.1% of them turned out positive for the virus. It's the ninth straight day that the daily positivity rate is above 40%.
Cumulative COVID-19 caseload, meanwhile, is at around 3.16 million, though the agency noted that 98.3% of the cases are mild and asymptomatic.
Over 23,600 patients have overcome the disease, bringing total recoveries to over 2.83 million.
Some 43 individuals, meanwhile, succumbed to COVID-19. Death toll stood at over 52,800.
As of Jan. 13, the DOH said all laboratories were operational, though eight labs failed to submit data.
The eight labs account for 2.2% of tested samples and 2.2% of positive results in the last 14 days, it added.
Jan. 15's report also showed that about 48% of 3,400 intensive care unit beds, 48% of 20,300 isolation beds, and 51% of 13,400 ward beds in the country have been occupied, for an average bed occupancy rate of 49%.
Last week, Jan. 8, about 34% of 3,400 intensive care unit beds, 38% of 20,300 isolation beds, and 34% of 13,400 ward beds in the country have been occupied, for an average bed occupancy rate of 35%.
The nationwide rate is still well within the "safe" zone set by the DOH. Based on the agency's standards, healthcare systems are classified as "high risk" if bed occupancy rates surpass 70%. When this happens, the national government said Alert Level 4 may be implemented. Under the measure, only up to 10% indoor capacity indoors for fully vaccinated individuals and 30% outdoors will be allowed.
The DOH earlier in the day has already confirmed the community transmission of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in the capital Metro Manila, the epicenter of the virus.
