SANTIAGO, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Chile recorded 5,045 COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the lowest figure in more than two months, as well as 11 deaths associated with the virus, for a total of 3,406,540 cases and 55,976 deaths, the Ministry of Health said Tuesday.

       In the same day, the COVID-19 positivity rate was 10.87 percent nationally and 7.51 percent in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.

       Chile closed last year with an average of 2,000 daily COVID-19 cases, according to the weekly moving average, but the Omicron variant sent infections soaring to a peak above 38,000 in February.

       Daily cases in the South American country have been steadily declining, with less than 15,000 per day, according to the weekly moving average.