MANILA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 168 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the lowest since May 22, 2020, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 2,837,719.
The DOH also reported that 10 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country's death toll to 50,794. The DOH said 20 laboratories failed to submit data, and four were non-operational.
Philippine authorities have expressed concern over the impact of Typhoon Rai on the government's efforts to vaccinate more people.
Rai, the most destructive typhoon to hit the archipelago this year, has crippled the transport and communication system and damaged the storage facilities in typhoon-ravaged areas in the central and southern Philippines.
Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the government's measures to combat COVID-19, said Rai has posed a challenge in the government's efforts to vaccinate more people this year.
The Philippines has administered more than 101.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday. More than 44 million people have been fully vaccinated.
The DOH reported below 1,000 daily cases since Nov. 24. It reported its highest caseload on Sept. 11 with 26,303 cases.
The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested more than 23 million people since the pandemic. Enditem
