MANILA (UPDATED) — The Philippines last week recorded 10,271 new COVID-19 cases, while the number of severe and critical patients slightly increased, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed Monday.

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.

This is the highest number of cases logged in a single week in 20 weeks, or since Feb. 14 to 20, when 14,458 cases were reported, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group. 

Of the additional infections during the past week, 27 were severe and critical.

A total of 555 or 8.7 percent of COVID-19 patients in hospitals were in severe and critical condition, the DOH said. The figure is 12 percent or 58 admissions higher than the previous week's 497 severe and critical cases, which comprised 8.4 percent of admissions at the time.

Despite the increase in count, the percentage of admitted severe and critical cases to the total COVID admissions was still below 9 percent, the ABS-CBN IRG noted. 

In the week of March 1 to 7, the ratio of severe and critical cases to the total COVID-19 admissions was at 16.1 percent--the highest in the last 19 weeks. The percentage in the succeeding weeks ranged from 8.4 percent to 14.3 percent, the research group said.

A total of 411 or 17 percent of 2,414 intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients were occupied as of Sunday, according to the Department of Health's latest bulletin.

Despite the higher number of cases logged last week, the utilization rate for COVID-19 ICU beds has remained below 20 percent, the ABS-CBN IRG said.

The last time that the COVID-19 ICU bed occupancy rate topped 20 percent was 18 weeks ago or in the week of March 1 to 7, when it was at 25.7 percent, the research group added.

During the past week, the DOH said it verified 50 more COVID-related fatalities, citing late encoding of death information. The deaths occurred in the following months:

• - 1 in May 2022
• - 3 in February 2022
• - 8 in January 2022
• - 3 in December 2021
• - 1 in November 2021
• - 2 in October 2021
• - 12 in September 2021
• - 7 in August 2021
• - 2 in July 2021
• - 3 in June 2021
• - 6 in April 2021
• - 1 in March 2021
• - 1 in November 2020

This is the third straight week that the weekly death toll has remained above 50, according to the ABS-CBN IRG.

NEW CASES STILL MORE THAN 1,500

Meanwhile, the Philippines recorded 1,660 new COVID-19 cases Monday.

The number of people currently positive for the coronavirus stood at 14,218. This is the highest number of active cases since April 23, ABS-CBN Data Analytics Team head Edson Guido said.

The country's total confirmed cases climbed to 3,720,054

Of the new cases, 769 are from Metro Manila.

The total number of COVID-19 related deaths are now at 60,640, with no new death reported Monday.

Some 71 million people have been fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, of whom 15.3 million have received their booster shots.

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