The Department of Health (DOH) reported 671 additional cases of Omicron subvariants in the Philippines.
The health department said the University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) has sequenced at least 761 samples last February 27.
Among the samples, 468 were declared as BA.2.3.20, 149 classified as XBB (including three cases classified as XBB.1.5), and nine classified as XBC.
The DOH said it also detected eight cases of BA.5 (including six cases classified as BQ.1), four cases of BN.1 (classified under BA.2.75), and 33 other Omicron sublineages.
Moreover, 460 additional BA.2.3.20 cases came from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 12, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Caraga, and National Capital Region (NCR). One case was classified as a Returning Overseas Filipino (ROF), while the case type of the remaining seven are still under verification.
Among the 149 recently reported XBB cases, 146 came from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, CAR, Caraga, and NCR (including three XBB.1.5 cases), while the remaining three cases are currently being verified if local cases or ROFs, the DOH said.
— Ronald Espartinez