MANILA, Philippines — Health authorities on Saturday recorded 6,739 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 1,138,187. The average new COVID-19 cases per day in Metro Manila have decreased by 30% to just 1,644 new infections over the past week, the independent OCTA Research said in its latest bulletin. The government is targeting to inoculate 120,000 people against COVID-19 daily in the National Capital Region in a bid to achieve herd immunity in the country's outbreak epicenter by November 27, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said. He added that the government hopes to meet its 120,000 daily vaccination target by June and increase it by as much as double in July. The World Health Organization issued a grim warning that the second year of COVID-19 was set to be "far more deadly", as Japan extended a state of emergency amid growing calls for the Olympics to be scrapped.

Source: Philippine Star May 15, 2021 08:03 UTC