MANILA - The Philippines on Thursday announced 3,694 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the country's total to 2,772,491, data from the health department showed.

The number of fresh infections counted fewer than 4,000 for the 2nd straight day, data showed.

Of the total, 49,835 or 1.8 percent are active infections, according to the latest Department of Health (DOH) bulletin.

COVID-related deaths increased by 227 to 42,575. Deaths were over 200 for the second straight day, data showed.

There were also 3,924 more recoveries, raising the total number of recuperations to 2,680,081.

The positivity rate was at 8.6 percent, based on test results of samples from 50,755 individuals on Tuesday. The World Health Organization (WHO) benchmark for positivity rate is 5 percent below for at least 2 weeks.

ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said the positivity rate fell below 10 percent for the fourth straight day.

A laboratory failed to submit data on time.

The intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization rate in Metro Manila and across the country was at 41 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

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The Philippines on Friday will expand the vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 with comorbidities to other regions, according to the DOH. It will roll out the program to include all children on Nov. 3, beginning in Metro Manila, it said..

A total of 23,727 children with comorbidities have been vaccinated as of 10 a.m. Thursday, it added.

Around 26.5 million people have been fully vaccinated against the respiratory illness, while 31 million others have received an initial dose as of Wednesday, according to the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

• PH aims to vaccinate 80 pct of 12M kids vs COVID-19 by yearend: DOH

The government targets to fully vaccinate up to 77 million people in the country to achieve herd immunity against the disease.

Nearly 99.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have arrived as of Thursday, the ABS-CBN IRG said.

Of this figure, some 70 million doses were procured by the national and local governments, and the private sector, while 24.3 million were provided by the COVAX facility, and 5.5 million were bilateral donations by China, Japan, UK, UAE, and Brunei to the Philippines, it added.

Cemeteries will be closed on Oct. 29-Nov. 2 to curb the risk of COVID-19 transmission during All Saints' Day, the Department of the Interior and Local Government had said.

• DILG: Cemeteries closed from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 as COVID precaution