Manila, May 1 (IANS): The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Saturday 9,226 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,046,653.

The death toll climbed to 17,354 after 120 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The Philippines, with a population of 110 million, has tested over 11 million people since the outbreak of the virus in January 2020, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Metro Manila and its four adjacent provinces entered another two-week lockdown on Saturday to decongest the hospitals and curb the transmission of the virus.

During a televised press conference on Saturday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government wanted "to strengthen our health system capacity further, add additional hospital beds so that we can improve the situation in Metro Manila and the four neighbouring areas."

The Philippines reimposed strict lockdown measures in the five areas on March 29 as the number of Covid-19 cases soars.