The country logged 10,271 new COVID-19 cases from July 4 to July 10, about 39 percent higher than the cases reported the previous week, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
Based on the DOH’s weekly case bulletin, the daily case average for the week was 1,467. This was higher than the 1,057 case average from June 27 to July 10, with 7,398 new COVID-19 infections.
There were also 50 more verified deaths last week, but none of them occurred from June 27 to July 10.
Data also showed that 555 severe and critical cases are currently admitted in hospitals due to COVID-19 as of July 10.
Of the 2,414 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 411 or 17 percent were occupied. Meanwhile, 4,863 or 22.7 percent of the 21,424 non-ICU COVID-19 beds were in use.
Of the new cases recorded in the covered period, 27 were tagged as new severe or critical cases. This was 0.27 percent of the new cases reported for the week.
A total of 71,055,752 people or 78.95 percent of the government’s target population are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to DOH.
Of this number, 697,115 were vaccinated from July 4 to July 10.
At least 6.7 million senior citizens or 77.72 percent of the target A2 population have also received their primary vaccine series.
The DOH also noted that 15,342,652 people have received their booster shots.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante on Monday said it is high time for the government to mandate the administration of booster shots to the general population as the COVID-19 infections in the country continue to increase.
The DOH, however, clarified the administration of booster shots and the primary vaccine series is still not mandatory, although the President agreed with the agency’s proposal to include the first booster as a requirement for a person to be considered fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Maricar Limpin of the Philippine College of Physicians said even if the government scraps COVID-19 restrictions, mandatory face mask rules should be the last to go.
“We together with our colleagues in the medical profession … we believe that the face mask will be the last thing we will remove if ever we have to relax the requirements,” she said in Filipino in an interview over ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.
Limpin was reacting to the statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the government may consider wearing face masks optional if it’s clearly safe.
The Palace said the President would preside over today’s Cabinet meeting through a video conference.
Marcos is still in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 last week. He has been advised to go on isolation for seven days.
A medical bulletin said he had no fever or body malaise. His cough disappeared but the President still experiences very mild nasal stuffiness and nasal itchiness, the bulletin added.
His vital signs are all within normal limits.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday he is ready to return to work on Thursday, July 14, after test results showed he no longer has the COVID-19 virus.
Remulla tested positive for Covid Thursday, July 7, immediately undertook a seven-day isolation, and started to work from home.
“I’m okay, negative for antigen for two days,” Remulla said in a text message to reporters.
However, he said he has to follow government protocols and be quarantined for seven days.
“So still working from home now,” he added.
