PH logs 497 new COVID-19 cases

The Philippines on Wednesday logged 497 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the nationwide caseload to 4,160,651.

Based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) latest bulletin, the active cases slightly jumped to 8,275, while the total recoveries is now at 4,085,894.

The country’s death toll remained at 66,482.

In the past two weeks, the National Capital Region (NCR) has had the highest number of cases with 2,221, followed by Calabarzon with 1,451, Central Luzon with 1,417, Western Visayas with 922, and Cagayan Valley with 652.

Also within the past two weeks, Quezon City recorded the most number of new cases among cities and provinces with 536 cases, followed by Iloilo with 551, Cavite with 487, Bulacan with 395, and Pampanga with 355.

As of Tuesday, 6,806 individuals were tested, while 314 testing labs submitted data.

COVID-19 bed occupancy stood at 18.5%, with 4,686 occupied and 20,596 vacant.

Omicron subvariants

Earlier today, DOH said 80 additional cases of various Omicron subvariants were detected in the Philippines.

Its latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report showed that 54 cases were classified as Omicron XBB subvariants, all found in Western Visayas.

Meanwhile, there were 25 cases of BA.2.3.20 —18 of which from Western Visayas, and seven from the Cordillera Administrative Region.

One was a case of another Omicron sublineage that was not identified.

XBB.1.5 now has 549 detected cases in the Philippines, and XBB.1.16, which has 265 local cases, are considered variants of interest (VOI) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The DOH also officially launched its bivalent COVID-19 vaccination in the country on Wednesday, presided by DOH Sec. Ted Herbosa, who was also the first recipient in the National Capital Region.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. graced the launch which was held at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.

During the event, Marcos renewed his call for Filipinos who remain unprotected against COVID-19 to get vaccinated.

"I thus appeal to everyone, especially those who have yet to receive their primary series of vaccinations, to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This is not for your own good alone but also for the protection of your families and the general public," said Marcos in his speech. —Sherylin Untalan/ VAL, GMA Integrated News