Philippines says Covid-19 vaccination drive on track as cases surge

Manila: The Philippines is on track with its COVID-19 inoculation drive, the head of the government's vaccine strategy said on Sunday, addressing criticisms the rollout has been slow as worries grow about a surge in new cases.

The Department of Health reported 4,899 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a day after recording the largest single-day increase in more than six months with 5,000 additional infections. The latest tally brought the country's total confirmed cases to 621,498, among the highest in Asia, with the reported death toll increasing by 63 to 12,829.