4,456 COVID-19 infections recorded in last week of April as cases rise: Philippines

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Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in the Philippines, with the Department of Health reporting 4,456 new infections in the past week.

In a bulletin issued Tuesday, the DOH said an average of 637 cases were recorded from April 24 to 30. The figure was 42% higher than the average logged from April 17 to 23.

Twenty-two of the additional cases were severe and critical.

There were 351 patients in severe and critical conditions, which accounted for 8% of the total COVID-19 admissions in the country.

Despite the uptick, healthcare utilization rates in the country remain low.

Data from the health department showed that only 15% of 2,021 beds in intensive care units were used, while 18.1% of 17,480 non-ICU beds were occupied.

The DOH also verified 22 deaths in the past week. None of those deaths occurred in the last two weeks.

The agency reminded the public to wear face masks, ensure proper ventilation, isolate when sick, and get vaccinated and boosted.

The DOH confirmed last week the country's first case of the XBB.1.16 subvariant, which is believed to have fueled a recent surge in COVID-19 infections in India. Also known as 'Arcturus,' XBB.1.16 is classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization.

The Philippines has confirmed over four million COVID-19 infections, with more than 66,000 deaths, since the pandemic began in early 2020.