MANILA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The daily reported COVID-19 new cases in the Philippines jumped to another record of 39,004 on Saturday as the Omicron variant spreads in communities, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,168,379.

The Department of Health (DOH) said that the number of active cases soared to an all-time high of 280,813. The positivity rate dipped to 47.1 percent from 47.3 percent the previous day. It added that 43 more people died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 52,858.

The Philippines' COVID-19 infections keep hitting new records during the last week due to high mobility, poor compliance with safety health protocols, and the fast-spreading Omicron and Delta variants.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Metro Manila remains the region with the most active and new cases, adding the infections are fast spreading across the country.

"We are seeing community transmission of the Omicron variant in Metro Manila," she told a virtual press conference.

As of Saturday, Vergeire said the active cases in Metro Manila stood at 149,000. "We are projecting the number of active cases in Metro Manila to double by Feb. 15," she added.

The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested more than 24 million people since the outbreak in 2020. Enditem

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