Manila, Feb 26 (IANS): The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,223 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,660,020.

The DOH said, 128 more people died from Covid complications, pushing the country's death toll to 56,351, Xinhua news agency reported.

Guido David, a professor at the University of the Philippines and OCTA Research fellow, said the Covid situation in Metro Manila remained at low risk with a positivity rate of 4 per cent.

Citing DOH data, David said the capital region's reproduction number as of Friday was 0.21, healthcare utilisation rate at 25 per cent, and intensive care unit utilisation rate at 27 per cent.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque, the chair of an interagency coronavirus task force, said earlier that Metro Manila is ready to deescalate to alert level 1 on March 1.

The Philippines has seen four waves of Covid infection since 2020. The country reported the highest single-day tally on January 15 this year, with 39,004 new cases.

The Philippines, with a population around 110 million, has tested over 26 million people.