Almost 900 additional Omicron subvariant BA.5 cases detected in Philippines

18 more Omicron BA.4 subvariant cases, 15 additional BA.2.12.1 cases also monitored

(Eagle News) — Nearly 900 additional cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.5 have been detected in the country, the Department of Health said.

According to Health Undersecretary Beverly Ho, based on genome sequencing results covering July 22 to 26, also detected were 18 additional Omicron BA.4 subvariant cases.

Fifteen additional Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 cases were also detected.

BA.5

According to Ho, these additional 890 Omicron subvariant BA.5 cases were found in all regions of the country except for Region 12 and the Bangsamoro region.

Of these,  232 were from Metro Manila, 252 were from Western Visayas, and 136 were from Calabarzon.

Sixty-three were from the Cordillera Administrative Region,  59 from Cagayan Valley, 46 from Central Luzon, and 37  were from Mimaropa.

Twenty-nine were from Ilocos Region, 13 from Bicol Region, and five each were from Central Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Caraga each logged one additional Omicron BA.5 subvariant cases.

With the additional cases, the total number of BA.5 cases in the country has risen to 1,997.

BA.4

Of the additional 18 Omicron subvariant BA.4 cases, seven were from Metro Manila, six were from Bicol Region, and two from the Cordillera Administrative Region.

One case each was also logged from Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Calabarzon.

With the additional cases, the country now has 71 BA.4 cases.

BA.2.12.1

Of the new Omicron BA.2.12.1 subvariant cases, five were from Metro Manila, four from CAR, three from Calabarzon, and one each from the Ilocos Region and Mimaropa.

With these additional cases, the DOH said the total Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 cases in the country has risen to 154.

On Wednesday, July 27, the Philippines logged 2727 additional COVID-19 cases.