MANILA, Feb 26 (ABS-CBN) - The Philippines on Saturday logged 1,223 additional COVID-19 cases, the 8th straight day that new recorded infections were fewer than 2,000, data from the health department showed.

According to ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido, the day's cases were considered the second lowest so far this year.

The new cases raised the country's cumulative total to 3,660,020, of which 53,934 were active.

The number of those still battling the disease is the lowest since January 5, Guido added.

The positivity rate was at 5.3 percent, based on samples received from 26,631 individuals on Thursday, the 4 p.m. bulletin showed.

Guido said the positivity rate was the lowest since December 27, 2021.

Deaths, meanwhile, increased to 56,351 after the DOH confirmed 128 more fatalities, which included 113 cases initially classified as recoveries, the DOH said.

Recoveries rose by 2,400 to 3,549,735. The total number of recoveries comprise 97 percent of the running total.

Four laboratories failed to submit data on time.