Philippines logs 1,223 new COVID-19 cases, 3,660,020 in total

Manila: The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,223 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,660,020.
The DOH said 128 more people died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 56,351. Guido David, a professor at the University of the Philippines and OCTA Research fellow, said the COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila remained at low risk with a positivity rate of 4 percent.
Citing DOH data, David said the capital region's reproduction number as of Friday was 0.21, healthcare utilization rate at 25 percent, and intensive care unit utilization rate at 27 percent.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque, the chair of an interagency coronavirus task force, said earlier that Metro Manila is ready to deescalate to alert level 1 on March 1.
The Philippines has seen four waves of COVID-19 infection since 2020. The country reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15 this year, with 39,004 new cases.
The Philippines, with a population of around 110 million, has tested over 26 million people. (ANI/Xinhua)