New COVID-19 variants in the Philippines

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) rallies all local government units (LGUs) "to be more vigilant and reinforce measures against COVID-19 to impede the projected increase in cases until the end of the year."

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos says: “Kami po ay nananawagan sa ating LGUs na bantayang mabuti ang mga kaso ng COVID sa kanilang nasasakupan. We are still in a pandemic and we count on our local officials to lead this war, especially in the coming months where alarming numbers of COVID-19 cases are projected.

He calls on LGUs "to fortify their measures against COVID-19, following the DOH’s recent projection of increase in COVID-19 cases in NCR by October, which can even extend to other parts of the country until the end of the year."

The Department of Health says it has confirmed 16 cases of the Delta variant in the Philippines. Of those case, 11 are considered local transmissions.

Another nine UK variant cases of COVID19 were detected in Kalinga prompting the Kalinga Provincial Health Office to reiterate to the public to maintain vigilance and strictly compliance to health protocols.

According to the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the Center for Health Development Cordillera, the newly identified cases were from the five towns, one each from Rizal, Pasil, Tanudan and Lubuagan. Four cases meanwhile were detected in Kalinga's capital, Tabuk City.

Kalinga has logged a total of 19 UK variant cases since it got into the country last January 2021. —  The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

The Department of Health announces new cases of the following variants detected in the Philippines:

• 1 B.1.617.2 (Indian) variant,
• 104 B.1.1.7 (UK) variant
• 137 B.1.351 (South Africa) variant,
• 4 P.3 variant

The Department of Health records an additional 10 cases of B.1.617.2 or the variant first detected in India. As of this writing, 12 cases of this variant have been detected in the Philippines. 

New variants of COVID-19, such as those first detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa, have been detected in all Metro Manila cities.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says the variants have contributed to the spike in the number of cases in the capital region.

COVID-19 variants first detected in the Philippines have reached the United Kingdom.

In its latest update, Public Health England announces it has identified two cases of the variant P.3 in England.

"One of the cases is linked with international travel and the other is currently under investigation. All appropriate public health interventions are being undertaken," it says.

The Department of Health detects the first case of coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil.

The health department also detects 59 more cases of the coronavirus variant first seen in the UK and 32 more cases of the variant first seen in South Africa.

The Department of Health reports 52 additional cases B.1.351 variant (South Africa variant) cases and 31 more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant (UK variant) in the country.

Among the latest batch of samples sequenced by the UP-Philippine Genome Center, there are also 42 new cases with mutations in Central Visayas.

"The DOH and its concerned Centers for Health Development is coordinating with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Local Government Units (LGUs) in NCR and Region 7 to institute measures to contain further transmission of these variants and mutations," the DOH says.

The DOH reports two additional samples from Central Visayas with both N501Y and E484K mutations.

Meanwhile, two cases from the region previously reported to have the mutations have been delisted. The total of these mutations in the country remain at 34 cases.

"Despite the arrival of vaccines and the successful initial vaccination activities, the DOH emphasizes that adherence to minimum public health standards is still the best course of action to prevent community transmission and further virus mutations," the DOH says.

The Department of Health reports 30 additional cases with B.1.1.7 variant, first seen in the United Kingdom, in the country. This brings the total cases in the country at 87.

Of the new cases detected in the latest genome sequencing batch, 20 are returning overseas Filipinos, three are local cases and seven are currently being verified.

The 20 detected returning Filipinos came from the Middle East, Singapore and the United States. Thirteen of them are asymptomatic active cases while seven have recovered.

The Philippines joins 47 other countries with reported cases of the B.1.351 variant, which was first detected in South Africa, the Department of Health confirms Tuesday.

The DOH confirms six cases of the variant — three local cases, two returning overseas Filipinos and one still being verified.

"While there is no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease, the pattern of mutations within this variant suggests higher transmissibility and may have an impact on vaccine efficacy," the DOH says.

The Department of Health says one of the additional COVID-19 cases positive for the more infectious variant is linked to the MRT-3 cluster.

The patient is the mother of an employee. —  Gaea Katreena Cabico

The Philippine Genome Center did not detect the B117 variant of the coronavirus, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, in 48 samples for its fourth batch of sequencing, the Department of Health says Saturday night.

The samples came from the National Capital Region (23), Calabarzon (19), Cordillera Region (4) and from returning overseas Filipinos (2). Seven of these cases are already recovered, while the rest are either asymptomatic or mild cases.

"While no new cases have been detected, the DOH reiterates that the minimum public health standards remain the best precautionary measure against COVID-19 infection regardless of the variant," the DOH says.

At least 13 contacts of the first confirmed UK variant case of COVID-19 in the country tested positive for the infectious disease, the Department of Health says.

Eight passengers aboard the same Dubai-Manila flight as the patient and five other close contacts tested positive with the coronavirus.

The eight passengers are in stable condition while waiting for results of re-swabbing after getting low viral load from their initial test. Meanwhile, samples of the five other contacts who tested positive have been sent to the UP Philippine Genome Center to determine if they are also infected with the new variant.

The Quezon City government denounces the restriction imposed by the local  government of Arayat, Pampanga as it is "totally without basis."

This follows reports that a QC resident tested positive for the new variant of COVID-19, which was first detected in the United Kingdom.

Mayor Joy Belmonte stresses that the patient who tested positive for the new coronavirus variant did not set foot in the city following his arrival from Dubai last January 7.

Statement of Mayor Joy Belmonte on the restriction imposed by Arayat LGU against QC residents pic.twitter.com/VYuHah6gTH

— Quezon City Government (@QCGov) January 18, 2021

The new coronavirus variant that first emerged in the UK has been detected in the Philippines, health authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

In an advisory, the Department of Health says samples from a Filipino who arrived from the United Arab Emirates on January 7 yielded "positive genomic sequencing results," the first reported detection of B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant in the Philippines.

A thread on new variants of SARS-CoV-2 reported in the Philippines.