Philippines logs 7,302 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises over 1. 3 million

The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Sunday 7,302 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,315,639.

The death toll climbed to 22,788 after 137 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The Philippines, which has a more than 110 million population, has tested more than 13 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.

The government has been ramping up the vaccination drive with the aim to inoculate up to 70 million people this year, and more than 1.68 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.

Last week, the government started inoculating essential workers, hoping to bring the economy back on track.

"The added protection against COVID-19 will give our workers more confidence to go out and earn a living while reducing virus transmission to their families," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )