MANILA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 261 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to 2,837,784.
The DOH also reported that 122 more people died from COVID-19 complications in the country, bringing the overall coronavirus death toll to 50,916. It said 12 laboratories failed to submit data, and two were non-operational.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed concern over a possible COVID-19 surge fueled by the Omicron variant.
Duterte said the government fund cannot even cope with the spiralling expenses for typhoon victims, referring to Typhoon Rai which battered the Southeast Asian country last week.
Typhoon Rai made thousands of Filipinos homeless in the central and southern areas of the country and caused losses of millions of U.S. dollars in agriculture and infrastructure. Thousands of survivors are still waiting for government aid.
Duterte said an Omicron-fueled community transmission will require "a huge expenditure again."
The Philippines has detected three Omicron cases in inbound travelers.
The DOH said on Tuesday night that all fully vaccinated adults can get their booster shots at least three months after completing the second dose of a primary series.
The Philippines, which has a population of around 110 million, has tested more than 23 million people for COVID-19 since the pandemic. Enditem
