Philippines logs 433 new COVID-19 cases

According to the DOH, Metro Manila tops the regions with the most active and new cases, followed by two adjacent regions.

The reproduction number in the capital region rose to 0.7 on Dec. 22 from 0.42 on Dec. 15, said Guido David from OCTA Research that analyses the DOH data. The figure, a way of rating a disease's ability to spread, indicates that currently, one infected person will pass on the virus to 0.7 people on average. "The holiday uptick may explain the increasing reproduction number and positivity rate," he said, referring to the increased mobility of people. 

Filipinos travel to their hometown during the holiday season to reunite with their families. It is also the season to meet friends and hold office parties, especially now that the government has eased the lockdown restrictions. Families trooped to malls, parks and churches with babies and young children in tow after the government allowed the youngsters to go out after more than a year of home confinement. The Philippines, with a population of around 110 million, has tested more than 23.5 million people since the pandemic.