For now, the DoH has recorded 29 additional Omicron cases and 18 Delta (as of January 2, 2022). The question is, when were these samples taken? But one thing is clear with the rise in cases, is the omnipresence of omicron as seen in the trajectory of new cases since after December 25, 2021.

Today, the Health Agency reports 17,220 new cases based on almost 60,000 tests done last January 4, 2022 with a staggering positivity rate of 36.9%! Because the testing facilities can only do so many tests in a single day, we will never see the real picture of the daily new cases because of the limitation also in testing capacity. This brings the total number of active cases to over 56,000, with around 90% of them being mild.

The hospital utilization is up at 50% and the ICU utilization also up at 43% in spite the lack of manpower in the hospitals (healthcare workers) because many are exposed or sick as well.

Additional 81 deaths are reported today.