The Department of Health (DOH) recorded on Monday, Dec. 27, an additional 318 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
This update brought the country's total tally of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic to 2,838,792.
DOH said that active cases stood at 9,579 or 0.3 percent of the total number of cases. Among this number, 3,644 were mild, 3,339 were moderate, 1,777 were severe, 445 were asymptomatic while 374 were in critical condition.
The agency also reported 255 new recoveries bringing the total tally to 2,778,002 or 97.9 percent of the total number, while 11 more have died bringing the death toll to 51,211 or 1.80 percent of the total number of cases.
On the other hand, DOH said that it will no longer issue COVID-19 case bulletins starting Jan. 1, 2022.
It said in a statement that it will be providing daily case updates via www.doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker which will be updated at 4 p.m. daily.
"This public tracker which has been operational since the start of the pandemic, contains all information being provided in the case bulletin and daily situation report," DOH said.
"Rest assured that the DOH will continue to provide the public with the latest information regarding the COVID-19 situation along with other equally important health programs," it added.
COVID-19 situation
Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing that the country's epidemic curve showed that the current seven-day average daily cases is at 307 new cases per day. Though average cases have further decreased in the recent week, it was only by five cases or by just two percent. "Nationally, we remain at minimal risk case classification with a negative two week growth rate at negative 36 percent and a low-risk average daily attack rate at .28 cases for every 100,000 individuals," she said.
"Note that the decline in two week growth rate in the recent one to two weeks was lower at negative 36 percent versus the negative 59 percent reported three to four weeks ago," she added.
Vergeire also mentioned that the National Health Systems capacity remained to be at low risk with total bed utilization at 16 percent and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) utilization at 17 percent.
DOH also flagged eight areas whose one week and two week growth rates are positive. Five are from the National Capital Region, two are from Region 11 and one from the Cordillera Administrative Region.
There were also 31 provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities with one week growth rates have turned positive but not yet their two week growth rate, the DOH said.