MANILA, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines on Wednesday reported 2,245 new COVID-19 cases, the highest in more than two months in the Southeast Asian country.

The last time the daily new cases exceeded Wednesday's number was on November 8, 2020, which stood at 2,442.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 518,407.

The death toll climbed to 10,481 after 95 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. It added 140 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 475,542.

The Philippines, which has about 110 million population, has tested over 7.1 million people since the disease emerged in January last year.

The Philippine government announced that all incoming passengers will be required to stay in a quarantine facility upon arrival starting from Feb. 1.

"Arriving passengers, regardless of their origin, will be required to undergo facility-based quarantine upon arrival. They will then undergo (a swab test) on the fifth day from their date of arrival in the country unless the passenger shows symptoms at an earlier date while on quarantine," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

Travelers that tested negative will be released to the local government units, which will strictly monitor the rest of their 14-day quarantine.

The Philippines has 17 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant so far.

Foreign travelers are still not allowed to enter the Philippines except for diplomats and personnel of accredited international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

The government has yet to decide whether to extend or lift the ban that expires on Jan. 31. Enditem

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