MANILA (UPDATE) — The Philippines on Thursday reported 16,621 more COVID-19 infections, the 8th highest daily tally since the pandemic started, while the country's active cases stood at over 146,000, data from the health department showed.

The country's total confirmed coronavirus cases climbed to 2,020,484, of which 146,510 or 7.3 percent are active, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

The ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group said the number of those still battling the disease is the highest in 3 days, or since Aug. 30, when the DOH registered 148,496 active cases, with duplicates already removed.

The Philippines has been battling a new surge in virus infections since late July, which experts believe was caused by the more virulent Delta variant that first emerged in India.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the community transmission of the variant this week.

• Delta variant now dominant strain of COVID in PH: WHO

Meanwhile, the country's positivity rate is at 26.9 percent, based on the results of 60,973 individuals who were tested on Monday, a national holiday.

ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said the positivity rate is above 26 percent for the second straight day.

The DOH also confirmed 148 additional COVID-related deaths, pushing the nation's death toll to 33,680.

The day's fatalities include 66 cases first classified as recoveries.

Total recoveries, meanwhile, increased by 10,965 to 1,840,294, which account for 91.1 percent of the cumulative total cases.

A total of 92 duplicates have been excluded from the cumulative total. Seventy-eight of those were recoveries while 1 is a fatality, the DOH said.

Five laboratories failed to submit data on time, it added.

• Philippines: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Seventy-four percent of intensive care unit (ICU) beds allocated for COVID-19 nationwide are currently occupied, while those in Metro Manila are 73 percent utilized, the DOH said.

Ward beds in Metro Manila are 73 percent used up, while the national rate is 71 percent.

VACCINATION

Earlier in the day, Malacañang said the Philippines has fully immunized 14,109,916 people against COVID-19.

Authorities in total have administered 34,112,320 vaccine doses, while a total of 20,002,404 have received their first dose.

• Over 14 million now fully vaccinated vs COVID-19 in Philippines

The government aims to vaccinate up to 70 million people before the year ends to achieve herd immunity and safely reopen the economy badly battered by the pandemic.

— with reports from Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News

WATCH

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv