MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines continued to post a record number of infections, with 32,246 new cases tallied on Wednesday, January 12, the second highest single-day tally reported so far.

It comes days after health officials reported a record-high 33,169 new cases on January 10.

The number of Filipinos currently sick with COVID-19 also reached an all-time high on Wednesday, after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 208,164 active cases nationwide.

Health officials have logged some of the country’s highest single-day tallies in the last week alone, with cases soaring fast partly due to Omicron, the latest variant of concern and the most contagious form of the coronavirus yet. 

The number of people infected, however, remains an undercount with testing centers weighed down by backlogs due to the holidays, increased demand, a thinning workforce, and rapid antigen tests that do not get counted. 

Since 2020, the pandemic has claimed 52,654 lives in the Philippines, including 144 new fatalities reported on Wednesday. 

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According to the DOH, 43% of intensive care unit beds across the country were currently filled, while 45% of isolation beds and 43% of ward beds were occupied. While considered to be a “safe” occupancy rate, the fast increase in admissions comes as more health workers contract COVID-19. 

One of the country’s main COVID-19 hospitals, the Philippine General Hospital, reported a significant increase in infections among its staff with COVID-19 admissions currently at 301 – a scenario that has pushed the hospital to operate under “crisis mode.”

Experts have cautioned against the notion Omicron infections were “mild,” saying although they were less severe compared to Delta, the variant could still hospitalize and kill people. 

Health officials both in the Philippines and across the world have urged the public to practice health measures like proper mask-wearing, distancing, and ensuring ventilation since stemming transmissions is critical to protecting vulnerable populations and avoiding the emergence of new variants. 

The World Health Organization, meanwhile, pressed governments to ensure widespread vaccination across the globe, warning that uneven vaccine distribution could continue to prolong the health crisis. – Rappler.com