Over 12,500 new coronavirus cases confirmed Tuesday, setting new record

The Health Ministry now says there were over 12,500 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, setting a new all-time daily record, though it may only stand for a single day.

The new tally of 12,554 for Tuesday smashes the previous daily high of 11,345 and adds nearly 600 new cases to the previously announced Tuesday tally of just under 12,000.

Another 8,135 cases are confirmed for Wednesday as of late afternoon, bringing the number of active cases to over 62,400.

The number of patients hospitalized and in serious condition, which experts say may be a better metric of health given the Omicron variant’s high spread factor, continues to climb, hitting 290 and 129 respectively.

The death toll mounts as well, hitting 8,253 since the start of the pandemic.