The Philippines on Monday tallied 360 new COVID-19 cases as the government studies shortening waiting time between initial vaccination and booster shots as the threat of the Omicron variant looms.
The day's tally brought active cases to 11,083, with a total of 519 new recoveries and 61 new deaths reported.
Overall, a total of 2,836,803 COVID-19 cases have been reported since the pandemic began in March 2020, of which 2,775,379 have recovered and 50,341 died.
Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila is set to last until Dec. 15. Fewer daily cases recorded in December led to eased restrictions as more businesses reopened, with observance of health protocols strictly implemented to prevent a surge in cases.
Omicron, first isolated and detected in South Africa, is yet to be detected in the Philippines. According to the World Health Organization, the new variant spreads faster and weakens vaccines, but causes less severe symptoms according to early data.
The Philippines has 62 million vaccine doses in its stockpile and 52 million more expected to arrive, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said. The have to be used before they expire, he said.
"We will consult the experts on how to do about this possible expansion of the boostering to three to four months instead of six months," he told reporters during a vaccination site visit in Cavite.
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