MANILA (XINHUA) – The Philippines reported 37,207 new COVID-19 infections yesterday, the highest one-day case count since the outbreak, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,129,512.

The Department of Health (DOH) said that the number of active cases soared to 265,509. The positivity rate slightly dipped to 47.3 per cent from the record 47.9 per cent the previous day.

The DOH said that 81 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country’s death toll to 52,815. Eight laboratories failed to submit data yesterday.

With surging infections, the government reimposed restrictions in Metro Manila, its adjacent provinces, and several provinces with high virus clusters across the country to force people, particularly the unvaccinated, to stay at home.

The national police said at least 372 areas in Metro Manila and Luzon island are under hard lockdown. Police and local officials impose granular lockdowns on houses, streets, or buildings with virus clusters.

Metro Manila, the region with the most active and new cases, will remain under alert level 3 on a scale of 5 until January 31, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a virtual press conference yesterday.

Nograles said there is no need to raise the alert level for now, adding that bed and intensive care unit utilisation rates are still relatively low despite record level daily case counts.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Metro Manila. If the bed utilisation rate hits 71 per cent, then it would be the right time to elevate to alert level 4,” he said, adding the government is trying to manage the situation to prevent raising to the second-highest alert level.

Meanwhile, the government has eased the travel restrictions for returning Filipinos.

Under the new rule, travellers from the so-called “red list” countries and regions can even enter through regular flights from January 16 to 31.

SINGAPORE (CNA) – A study in the United Kingdom has found that men who wear medical masks are perceived as more attractive by members of the opposite sex.

Researchers at Cardiff University’s School of Psychology found that medical masks made for more attractive coverings than cloth masks and notebooks. The least attractive faces were completely uncovered.

This was true whether the men were considered attractive or unattractive before the coverings were introduced, according to the study published in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications on January 10.

The results ran counter to findings of similar research conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, said the authors of the study.

A 2016 study in Japan found a “sanitary-mask effect” showing that people associated medical masks with disease, perceiving masked faces as less healthy and hence less attractive.

“While medical masks might prime disease, they can also be seen as a sign of being responsible and caring citizens, which may positively impact perceived attractiveness,” said the Cardiff University researchers.

This was in line with other research conducted during the pandemic that “shows faces wearing medical masks are considered more likely to be ill, but also more socially desirable and trustworthy”.

Researchers at Cardiff University conducted their experiment in February 2021, about seven months after face masks were made compulsory in places like supermarkets and public transport in the UK.

“Research carried out before the pandemic found medical face masks reduce attractiveness,” said Dr Michael B Lewis, one of the study’s authors, in an article on Cardiff University’s website.

“We wanted to test whether this had changed since face coverings became ubiquitous and understand whether the type of mask had any effect.”