MANILA — The Philippine government is considering tighter restrictions in Calabarzon amid an increase in in COVID-19 cases and the threat of the omicron variant, an interior official said Monday.

"We're observing very closely the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan. And the Department of Health is getting all the necessary data to get a clear picture of the situation in those areas," Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told ANC's "Rundown".

According to the DOH COVID-19 tracker, Calabarzon has logged 686 COVID-19 infections on Sunday, raising the region's total case count to 499,604. The number of active cases stood at 3,196, while 5,813 have died.

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Malaya made the remark following the government decision of placing the capital region under heightened restrictions.

From Jan. 3 to 15, Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 following a rise in coronavirus infections and the detection of the highly contagious omicron variant.

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On Sunday, the country reported 4,600 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest in over 2 months, following the easing of quarantine restrictions some weeks prior.

The 19.6 percent positivity rate reported on the same day was the highest since Sept. 20, and the number of active cases was the highest since Nov. 20.

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To stem the spread of COVID-19, Malaya said local government units have the authority to impose restrictions unique to their respective areas.

For example, Manila has reimposed curfew hours for minors and banned unvaccinated individuals from entering malls.

Meanwhile, Baguio City will limit the number of tourists it will accept amid the threat posed by the omicron.

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