Coronavirus: in the Philippines, more than 2 in 5 people tested for Covid-19 have it; Japan’s daily cases top 13,000
- The positivity rate has surged to 46 per cent in the Philippines – more than four times the level at the end of 2021. Cases jumped amid year-end holidays
- Elsewhere, Indonesia begins booster roll-out; South Korea’s curbs force some out of work; and Covid-19 deaths hit a fresh high in Australia’s New South Wales
The positivity rate surged to 46 per cent in the Philippines on Monday – meaning more than two in five people tested for the virus actually have it – which is more than four times the level at the end of 2021. Cases jumped with the spread of Omicron during the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.
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Unvaccinated in the Philippines ordered to stay home under measures to fight Covid-19 case surge
A surge in Covid-19 cases, which reached a daily record of 33,169 on Monday, disrupted airlines and hospitals, and caused one-fifth of bank branches in the capital region to close amid staff shortages.
With infections continuing to spike and more than half of the beds in hospitals’ intensive care units now occupied, anticipation is building that the government may soon impose fresh restrictions.
Health officials are considering cutting required quarantine and isolation, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. While the surge in infections in the capital has yet to translate to the same spike in critical cases, it does not mean hospitals are not burdened, she said.
On Wednesday, Metro Manila’s transport department began enforcing a “no vaccination, no ride/ no entry” policy, banning unvaccinated travellers from taking public transport in the Philippine capital region.