DAILY coronavirus infections in the Philippines would probably stay below 5,000 after the entry of a new Omicron subvariant and as Filipinos celebrate Christmas next month, an infectious diseases expert said on Monday.

“Even if we see an increase in cases, most of them will likely be mild and won’t be needing hospitalizations,” Edsel Maurice T. Salvaña, a member of a Health department’s technical advisory group, told a televised news briefing in mixed English and Filipino.

Mr. Salvaña said existing vaccines are still effective in preventing severe symptoms of COVID-19.

Health authorities have yet to determine if BQ1, a new Omicron subvariant, is a more severe form of the coronavirus, he added.

Last week, the Department of Health (DoH) said it had detected the first 14 cases of the BQ1 subvariant in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said global weekly coronavirus cases dropped by 5% on Nov. 14 to 20 from a week earlier, with more than 2.4 million new cases reported. Weekly deaths fell by 13% to 7,800 it said.

In a statement on Nov. 26, DoH said new coronavirus variants and subvariants were expected, adding that Filipinos should learn to live with the virus in the “new normal.”

The WHO first declared Omicron as a variant of concern on Nov. 26 last year.

“We know that the virus mutates and what’s important is that we know how to protect ourselves, get our booster shots and for vulnerable members of our population to keep using face masks,” Mr. Salvaña said.

The OCTA Research Group on Sunday said daily coronavirus infections in the Philippines could hit as many as 3,during the Christmas holidays.

The country might record 2,000 to 3,000 daily coronavirus cases in December, OCTA Research Group fellow Fredegusto P. David said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

OCTA also expects a significant increase in severe and critical cases, though hospital use rate was unlikely to exceed 30%, he added.

The Philippines posted 8,004 coronavirus infections for Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, with a daily average of 1,143 cases.

Mr. David had said daily cases in the country might rise if there were threats from new subvariants of the coronavirus.

The country seeks to increase its vaccination rate and booster uptake amid the possible entry of more deadly variants and subvariants.

The government is set to hold a three-day vaccination campaign on Dec. 5 to 7. To broaden the campaign, it has been coordinating with other organizations such as the Chinese community, malls, fast-food restaurants and private doctors.

The Philippines has fully vaccinated 73.71 million people, according to DoH data. About 21 million people have received booster shots.

The United States will donate $5 million (P284 million) to boost the Philippines’ vaccination drive, the White House said last week.

The US government said it would also invest $8 million to strengthen its global health security partnership with the Philippines to “help prevent avoidable outbreaks, detect health threats early and respond rapidly and effectively when outbreaks occur.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

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