The Philippines reported 79 additional infections of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) Omicron subvariants BA.5, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4 from multiple regions, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the DOH briefing that among the new cases detected from July 17 to 11, 60 of them were BA.5; 17 were BA.2.12.1; and two were BA.4.
From the BA.5 infections, 58 of them came from Western Visayas, and one each from the Davao Region and Soccsksargen.
Currently, the country has 293 BA.5 infections, Vergeire said.
Moreover, 43 of the said new BA.5 infections are declared as recovered, 14 are still undergoing medical treatment and isolation, while the remaining three are still being verified.
Vergeire also reported that six of the 17 BA.2.12.1 infections came from Western Visayas; ten from Davao Region; while one was a returning overseas Filipino (ROF).
The country has 87 BA.2.12.1 total infections, she said.
Fifteen of them are now recovered while the remaining two are still under isolation and medication.
Meanwhile, one person each from the Davao Region and Soccsksargen also tested positive for the BA.4.
The country has 12 BA.4 total infections, according to the latest genome sequencing run.
— Ronald Espartinez