Philippines confirms local transmission of Omicron as cases hit record

The Philippine Health Ministry has confirmed the local spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant around capital Manila, as infections hit a record high for a third consecutive day. The ministry reported 39,004 new virus cases on Saturday, while active cases also hit a new all-time high of 2,80,813. The Philippines is the second-worst coronavirus-hit country in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.