By Sarwell Meniano | Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed the detection of 28 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in three cities and eight towns in the Eastern Visayas region.
In a press briefing late Thursday (Jan. 27), the agency said the 28 confirmed cases of highly transmissible variant form part of the 90 samples it has earlier sent to the Philippine Genome Center.
Of these cases, eight were from Tacloban City, Leyte; seven from Catbalogan City, Samar; three from Ormoc City, Leyte; two each from Tunga, Leyte and San Jorge, Samar and one each from the municipalities of Zumarraga, Gandara, Hinabangan, all in Samar province; Guiuan and Borongan City, both in Eastern Samar; and Macrohon in Southern Leyte.
DOH Eastern Visayas regional epidemiologist and surveillance unit chief Marc Steven Capungcol said there is a possibility that Omicron is present in many areas in the region, but there are no laboratory results to confirm this.
“That doesn’t mean that other areas not included in the list have no cases of Omicron. There is a spike of cases in several areas and the pattern of transmission is like Omicron variant,” Capungcol told reporters.
Capungcol said all who tested positive for Omicron have already recovered, except for the unvaccinated 84-year-old female from Samar, who succumbed to COVID-19.
As of Friday (Jan. 28), Eastern Visayas has already recorded 59,857 COVID-19 cases, including 56,244 recoveries and 637 deaths. This brings the total active cases to 2,976. (PNA) -ag
