DOH: PH detects 79 more cases of 3 Omicron subvariants

MANILA – The country has recorded 79 new cases of three Omicron subvariants — 60 BA.5, 17 BA.2.12.1 and two BA.4 from July 7 to 11.

A total of 58 cases of the BA.5 tally were from Western Visayas, and one each from Davao Region and Soccsksargen.

“Isang indibidwal ay unvaccinated habang ang vaccination status ng natitirang 59 ay inaalam pa (One individual is unvaccinated while the vaccination status of the remaining 59 is still being verified,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday.

The exposure and travel history of each of the infected persons were still being verified by the Department of Health.

One case showed mild symptoms and the symptoms of the remaining 59 are being verified.

To date, 43 of the cases are classified as recovered, 14 are still undergoing isolation while the outcomes of the remaining three are still being verified.

“Based on our latest sequencing run, overall, there are 293 cases of BA.5 detected in our country, so far,” Vergeire said.

Six of the additional BA.2.12.1 cases were from Western Visayas, 10 were from the Davao Region, and one was a returning overseas Filipinos.

The DOH is still verifying their vaccination status, exposures and travel histories.

Two had mild symptoms, one had severe symptoms, and one was asymptomatic.

The signs and symptoms of the remaining 13 are still being verified.

Fifteen out of the seventeen cases are tagged as recovered and two are still undergoing isolation.

One of the new BA.4 cases came from Western Visayas and the other from Soccksargen.

Their exposure and travel histories are still unknown.

One case is fully vaccinated while the other one is unvaccinated verified.

Both cases showed mild symptoms and currently classified as recovered.

A total of 87 BA.2.12.1 cases, and 12 BA.4 cases has now been logged in the country.