Tuesdays are usually low cases days. That's because these are tests done on a Sunday. Today was an exception to the rule as the Health Agency announces 5,434 new cases based on 24,855 tests done last January 2, a Sunday, with a skyrocketing 26.2% positivity rate. There are cases that are still being validated, so the unreported cases today will still be reckoned in the days to come. With today's numbers, the active cases jumps close to 30,000 with 80% of them being mild. Notice, however, the jump in hospital utilization in the NCR to 36% and the ICU to 35% from a previous 25%.

And no, there is no plateauing yet. It so happened that the reported cases yesterday and today were from January 1 and 2 - both holidays.

There are 18 added deaths today.