Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health reported Monday a continued rise in COVID-19 cases as the holiday season neared, with 2,725 new infections logged in the past week.
The DOH said in a bulletin that new COVID-19 cases increased by about 50% in the week ending December 18, compared to the previous week.
An average of 389 infections were logged daily from December 12 to 18. Among these cases, 16 had severe or critical illnesses.
The health department also confirmed 16 deaths in the past week, with 13 occurring from December 5 to 18.
Despite the rise in cases, hospitalizations remained at a low risk, with only 2.9% of the 1,101 beds in intensive care units and 18.3% of the 10,045 non-ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
Of those admitted, 8.8% or 211 individuals were in severe or critical conditions.
Health authorities have urged the public to adhere to minimum public health standards, including wearing face masks and frequent handwashing.
More than 78.4 million Filipinos have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations. However, only 23.8 million have gotten booster shots. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
