The number of COVID-19 cases with the United Kingdom (UK) variant in the country reached 44 after 19 more cases were added, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
The 19 new cases were detected in the sixth batch of 718 samples that underwent sequencing at the Philippine Genome Center on February 8. Three of the cases are from Region 11 but are not connected with each other, two are from Calabarzon, and eight are returning Overseas Filipinos.
Five of the remaining six cases have been verified, one of whom reportedly had connection with a case cluster at the MRT. The patient is a 46 year-old female from Pasay City who tested positive for COVID-19 on January 25.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire disclosed the patient’s child is an employee of MRT.
Also, currently being verified is the remaining case, a resident of Rizal who came from abroad.
A total of 107 contacts have been identified in Davao, 12 in the Mountain Province, and 50 in Ilocos Norte. Their RT-PCR test results are expected to be released this week.
The DOH said there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude the presence of community transmission of the B.1.1.7 variant in the country.
“Ang (The) samples are still not at that level na (that) it can provide us with predictive factor for community transmission,” Vergeire explained. – Report from Mark Fetalco
