Face mask mandate looms once again as Covid-19 cases continued to rise in the country with 4,456 new infections over the past week, according to the Department of Health.
The figure is 42 percent higher than the previous week, reflecting the staggering increase in positivity rate of 15.2 percent nationwide.
In Metro Manila alone, 17.2 percent of those who took tests turned out positive for the virus, according to experts.
In the latest DOH bulletin, an average of 637 cases are logged every day from 24 to 30 April. Of these, 22 are severe and critical.
It reported 351 patients in severe and critical conditions for the period, which accounted for 8 percent of the total COVID-19 admissions in the country.
Good thing, there is only 15 percent of hospital bed utilization in intensive care units, while 18.1 percent occupies non-ICU beds.
The DOH also reported 22 deaths in the past week compared to none in the last two weeks.
The DOH confirmed last week the country’s first case of the XBB.1.16 subvariant. Known as Arcturus, it is being blamed for the surge in cases in India.
The Philippines has four million confirmed Covid-19 cases with 66,000 deaths since the pandemic began in February 2020.