The Philippines on Thursday logged a new all-time high 34,021 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, beating the previous record just three days prior, as a surge driven by the more transmissible Omicron variant continued.
The day's tally brought active cases to 237,837, with a total of 4,694 new recoveries and 82 new deaths reported, data from the Department of Health showed. It broke the previous all-time high of 33,169 cases from Jan. 10.
Overall, a total of 3,092,409 COVID-19 cases have been reported since the pandemic began in March 2020, of which 2,802,286 have recovered and 52,736 died.
Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila, Bulacan, and several provinces and cities is expected to last until Jan. 15. On Tuesday, other areas were placed under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 31 to tame the surge in COVID cases.
Limited face-to-face classes in the college level should start on Jan. 31 in Alert Level 3 areas, the Commission on Higher Education said, which should include college and university programs.
Before the CHED advisory takes effect, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno earlier suspended classes in the city from Jan. 14 to 21 due to rising number of infections. All face-to-face and online learning are suspended in both public and private schools in the capital city to allow students and teachers to rest.
Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Saturday floated the possibility of raising Metro Manila's quarantine status to Alert Level 4 as authorities move to cap the surge.
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