By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – A total of 618 new cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been detected from the 677 samples in the latest batch of whole-genome sequencing, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Thursday (Jan. 27).
In a joint statement with the University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the University of the Philippines – National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH), the DOH said the Omicron cases composed of 497 local cases and 121 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
For the Omicron variant, the addresses of the cases were in the National Capital Region with 238 cases, Calabarzon, 71; Ilocos Region and Western Visayas with 30 each; Eastern Visayas, 28; Central Luzon, 27; Central Visayas, 20; Cagayan Valley, 19; Cordillera Administrative Region, 13; Davao Region, 10; Soccsksargen, 6; two cases each from Bicol Region and Mimaropa; and one case from Northern Mindanao.
The DOH said 13 cases are still active, two cases have died, and 560 cases have been tagged as recovered. There are 43 cases whose outcomes are still being verified.
To date, the total number of confirmed Omicron variant cases is 1,153. Among the confirmed Omicron cases, there were five deaths.
“Both the original Omicron lineage, B.1.1.529, and its sub-lineages, BA.1 and BA.2, have been detected in the country,” the DOH said. “The earliest detection of the BA.2 sub-lineage was on December 31, 2021 and was found to be the majority of Omicron cases in the latest batch.”
For the highly transmissible Delta variant, 35 cases were detected — 26 were local cases and nine were ROFs, bringing the total number to 8,647.
The DOH urged the public to follow protective health protocols and adhere to minimum public health standards while studies are still underway on the possible effects of the identified “Stealth Omicron” on current case trends.
“New protocols were put in place as a preventive measure to mitigate the risks of the different variants of the virus,” it said.
It also urged the public to complete their primary series of vaccines and boosters, especially those who are most vulnerable to the virus such as the elderly, the young, and the sick. (PNA) -ag
