The Philippines on Saturday reported 7,999 new COVID-19 cases, setting a new record that underscored the resurgence of the virus.
The total exceeded the previous record of 7,103 on Friday. It also brought the total number of active cases to 80,642.
Since the start of the pandemic last year, the country has reported a total 656,056 COVID-19 cases. The death toll stood at 12,930 with 30 new reported fatalities. There were 597 new recoveries, bringing the total to 562,484.
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For the past weeks, the Philippines has been seeing a surge in infections that mirror numbers from August 2020, when the government was forced to revert Metro Manila to MECQ, the second set of highest restrictions. The OCTA Research Group said 8,000 daily cases was possible if the trend persists.
The surge in infections and the threat of new virus variants has prompted the government to reimplement stricter COVID-19 protocols such as barring the entry of foreign nationals until April.
Metro Manila, where the surge is centered, has implemented a two-week curfew to limit foot traffic outdoors in a bid to curb virus transmission.
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