DOH detects 5 new BA.2.12.1 Omicron sub-variant cases
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health said Tuesday that authorities have detected five additional cases of the BA.2.12.1 Omicron sub-variant in Western Visayas.
Three returning overseas Filipinos from the United States and two locals tested positive for the BA.2.12.1 Omicron sub-variant, DOH’s Health Promotion Bureau Director Beverly Ho said in a briefing. All were fully-vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to Ho, the cases and their close contacts have finished isolation and are now tagged as recovered.
So far, local authorities have detected 22 BA.2.12.1 cases.
The DOH earlier confirmed the local transmission of the new Omicron sub-variant in Metro Manila, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, and Western Visayas.
The new sub-variant is likely to be more transmissible, but there is no evidence suggesting that BA.2.12.1 causes more severe disease.
Still at low risk
The Philippines logged 1,317 additional COVID-19 cases from May 23 to 29, or an average of 188 infections per day. The daily average during that period was 8.8% higher than a week earlier.
But Ho said: “Ang mga nasabing pagtaas ng kaso ng COVID ay small increase. Sa ngayon, wala pang dapat ipangamba dahil most of our island groups have less than 100 daily reported cases simula noong April 2022."
(The said rises in COVID-19 cases are small increases. We have nothing to worry about for now because most of our island groups have less than 100 daily reported cases since April 2022.)
The health official stressed that the country remains at low risk for COVID-19 transmission despite the slow uptick in infections.
The Philippines has confirmed over 3.69 million COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, with 60,455 deaths.
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