The Philippines has five more confirmed cases of Covid-19’s Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Health Promotion and Communication Service Director Dr. Beverly Ho said that the new cases were detected in Western Visayas. She said the new infections involved three returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) from the United States who are all fully vaccinated. All three came from the same household.
The Omicron subvariant was also discovered among two fully vaccinated locals living in one household.
“Ang lahat ng mga kasong ito ay nakatapos na po ng kanilang home isolation at considered asymptomatic and recovered,” she said.
Ho added that the two local infections had two close contacts, while the three ROFs had five close contacts.
“May total po tayong seven close contacts. Ang lahat ng ito ay tapos na rin sa kanilang isolation and are now tagged as recovered,” she said.
The country’s total number of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 cases is at 22. Eighteen were locally-acquired: two from the National Capital Region, 12 from Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and four from Western Visayas.
The remaining four infections are ROFs from Western Visayas as well.
— Ronald Espartinez