MANILA (UPDATE) — The Philippines logged 8,004 additional COVID-19 cases in the past week and 938 new infections on Monday, the Department of Health said.

Of the 4,026,895 total infections recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic, 18,179 are active as of Monday.

The death toll was up by nine to 64,485, while total recoveries stood at 3,994,231.

For the week of Nov. 14-20, an average of 1,143 daily infections were recorded in the country, which is 12 percent lower compared to the previous week.

It is the fourth straight week that weekly cases counted fewer than 10,000, the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group said.

Of the new infections that week, two or 0.03 percent were severe and critical, according to DOH's latest bulletin.

As of Sunday, 568 or 9.4 percent of COVID-19 admissions were in severe and critical condition, the agency said.

At least 493 or 20.9 percent of 2,358 intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients were occupied. The non-ICU bed utilization rate was at 23.1 percent.

During the same week, the DOH has also verified 93 more COVID-related fatalities, citing late encoding of death information. The deaths occurred in the following months:

• - 28 in November 2022
• - 1 in October 2022
• - 1 in March 2022
• - 4 in February 2022
• - 10 in January 2022
• - 1 in December 2021
• - 8 in October 2021
• - 14 in September 2021
• - 7 in August 2021
• - 2 in July 2021
• - 2 in June 2021
• - 5 in May 2021
• - 4 in April 2021
• - 4 in March 2021
• - 1 in February 2021
• - 1 in September 2020

The ABS-CBN IRG said the number of deaths that week is the lowest in 15 weeks, or since the week of Aug.1-7 when 80 were recorded.

It is also the first time in 15 weeks that the weekly deaths are below 100. In the weeks of Aug. 8 to Nov. 13, reported deaths per week ranged form 113 to 354, the research group said.

As of Nov. 20, some 73.7 million people in the country are already fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the DOH said.

Of the figure, around 20.8 million have received their first boosters.

• Over 31 million COVID-19 vaccine doses worth P15.6 billion wasted - DOH

To boost the country's vaccination coverage, the DOH will conduct a two-day special COVID-19 inoculation drive next month.

Dubbed "Bakunahang Bayan II," the special vaccination days will run from Dec. 5 to 7 and will target children ages 5 to 11.

• Bakunahang Bayan II slated in December; targets 5-11 years, first boosters

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