The Department of Health (DOH) reported a daily COVID-19 positivity rate of 3.9% in its bulletin on Sunday, November 14.

It is the lowest daily positivity rate in 18 months, or since May 17, 2020, when it stood at 3.77%, based on DOH data.

The 3.9% positivity rate reported on Sunday was based on laboratory results involving 40,996 individuals tested for the virus two days ago, or on Friday, November 12.

The number of tests in recent days was fewer than the nearly 80,000 tested daily on average around September.

The positive cases in these tests are added to the tally of confirmed cases only after further validation. This process helps ensure there won’t be duplicate cases, and that all test results had been submitted, explained the DOH.

The World Health Organization recommends that the positivity rate remain below 5% for at least two weeks before governments can consider reopening.

There have been 2,816,980 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines since the pandemic started, with 1,926 new cases announced on Sunday.

This brings the seven-day average of new cases to below 2,000, or at 1,990.43. It is the lowest average in eight and a half months, or since February 25, which was also the last time the average dipped to that level.

However, the DOH also reported 309 new deaths, raising the death toll to 45,581.

Meanwhile, recoveries were up by 3,140, bringing the total to 2,743,297.

Of the total confirmed cases, 28,102 are active, the lowest number since February 21, when 26,238 were reported.

The DOH said all testing laboratories were operational last Friday, but two labs failed to submit data.

Despite various indicators showing that COVID-19 is easing in the country, authorities still urge the public to keep their guard up and continue following health protocols to prevent another wave of cases, especially as the holiday season approaches.

The Philippines is also set to hold limited face-to-face classes in a pilot run – resuming in-person classes after almost two years – starting Monday, November 15. The schools in this test run are from areas that the DOH deemed low-risk for COVID-19. – Rappler.com