The Philippines on Friday reported 21,819 COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day tally yet for this year as health authorities predict the surge in infections to peak by end-January.
The day's tally brings the total active cases to 77,369 with 973 new recoveries and 129 new deaths. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the Philippines has reported a total of 2,910,664 COVID-19 cases of which 2,781, 424 recovered and 51,871 died.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday warned unvaccinated individuals not to leave their homes or face arrests as infections hit a three-month high.
READ: Duterte: Arrest Unvaccinated People If They Go Outdoors
Duterte in a televised address to the nation asked barangay chiefs to look for unvaccinated individuals within their communities and confine them to their homes.
Health authorities have earlier warned of an "exponential rise" in COVID-19 cases in a surge assumed to be driven by the hyper-contagious Omicron coronavirus variant.
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