MANILA: The Philippines reported 34,021 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, the highest one-day tally since the pandemic began in January 2020, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,092,409. The Department of Health (DOH) said that the number of active cases or patients still fighting the disease soared to 237,387 as the positivity rate rose to 47.9 percent. The DOH said that 82 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country’s death toll to 52,736, with seven laboratories failing to submit data. The deaths include those who died in the previous months. The Philippines’ COVID-19 infections surged to record levels beginning Saturday due to high mobility, poor compliance with safety health protocols, and the fast-spreading Omicron and Delta variants. Hospitals in Metro Manila, the region with the most active and new cases, are strained with the influx of COVID-19 patients and staffing shortages after many healthcare workers contracted the virus and needed isolation. Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said the government will deploy military and police medical personnel to address the staffing shortage. Vega said the COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila is “still very manageable” compared to when the Delta-fueled surge hit the country in September last year. “The surge this January is different. Unlike in September, this time the trajectory of the hospitalization and intensive care utilization did not increase along with the number of cases,” Vega said. The government reimposed restrictions to prevent people, particularly unvaccinated people, from leaving their houses to curb the transmission. The government raised the alert level in Metro Manila and several provinces with rising infections across the country. The national police said over 200 areas across the country, including 103 in Metro Manila, are under hard lockdown. Police and local officials impose the so-called granular lockdowns on houses, streets, or buildings with virus clusters. The Philippines, which has a population of around 110 million, has tested more than 24 million people since the outbreak.