MANILA — The Philippines on Thursday recorded 2,371 new COVID-19 cases and 1 new death, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.This is the highest daily tally in almost five months or since February 16, ABS-CBN Data Analytics Team head Edson Guido said.

The number of people currently positive for the coronavirus stood at 16,244, the highest since April 21, Guido added.

The country's total confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 3,725,382.

Of the additional cases reported during the day, 955 were from Metro Manila, the DOH said.

The positivity rate for July 10 to 13 is at 11.2 percent, Guido also said.

The country's first COVID-19 infection was reported on Jan. 30, 2020, involving a Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan City, China where the disease is believed to have first emerged.

The DOH data showed that the total number of COVID-related deaths in the country has reached 60,641.

Total recoveries, meanwhile, stood at 3,648,497.

From July 4 to July 10, the country tallied an average of 1,467 virus cases per day, which is 39 percent higher than the infections reported from the previous week, the DOH said.

Some 71 million people have been fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, around 15 million of whom have received their booster shots.

Metro Manila and dozens of other areas will stay under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 until July 15, Malacañang said. Under Alert 1, all indoor establishments and public transport may operate at 100 percent capacity, but only for those with full vaccination status.

Authorities continue to remind the public to follow minimum health protocols, especially on wearing face masks.

Full story here: https://tinylinkurl.com/rhVtA