MANILA — The Department of Health reported 1,379 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the country's total to 3,999,226 since the pandemic struck.

This is the seventh straight day that daily cases were below 2,000, ABS-CBN News Data Analytics Head Edson Guido said.

The DOH also recorded 38 deaths, raising the total to 63,921.

Active cases stood at 21,215, the lowest since July 20, Guido said.

The total number of those who recovered from the illness has reached 3,914,090.

Of the newly reported infections, 326 were from Metro Manila.

From Oct. 17 to 23, the Philippines recorded an average of 1,714 daily infections, which is 22 percent lower compared to the previous week.

That is the lowest number of weekly cases in 15 weeks, or since July 4 to 10 when the DOH logged 10,133 infections, the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group said.

That was also the ninth straight week with weekly cases below 20,000.

Of the new infections during that week, 4 or 0.04 percent were severe and critical cases, according to DOH's latest bulletin.

• Philippines' COVID-19 cases in past week down by 22 percent

As of Oct. 26, over 73.5 million people in the country were fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the DOH said.

Of the figure, over 20.5 million have received their first booster dose.

• DOH confirms local transmission of omicron XBB subvariant, XBC variant

The Philippines is planning to lift the mandatory wearing of face masks in indoor spaces, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said on Tuesday.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will soon issue an executive order “to make the indoor wearing of face masks also voluntary all over the Philippines with a few exceptions,” Frasco said in a press conference.

• Marcos Jr. to issue EO lifting mandatory wearing of face masks in indoor spaces

Some health experts said easing the indoor mask mandate might be premature after the DOH last week announced the local transmission of the highly contagious omicron XBB subvariant and XBC variant.

The DOH also said the country’s daily COVID-19 cases may reach as high as 18,000 towards the end of the year should government make indoor mask-wearing voluntary.

• 18K daily COVID cases seen if PH lifts mask rule indoors - DOH

The Philippines logged its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Jan. 30, 2020 in a woman who arrived from Wuhan City, China where the disease is believed to have first emerged.

The government rolled out its vaccination program about a year later, or on March 1, 2021.

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