The Department of Health (DOH) reported Thursday the country has detected 890 additional cases of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant of the Covid-19 virus.
In an online media forum, DOH officer in charge for the DOH’s Public Health Services Team, Undersecretary Beverly Ho, said all regions, except the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Soccsksargen, have detected the BA.5 subvariant.
The detected Omicron BA.5 subvariant were reportedly detected in the following regions: “252 from Region 6 (Western Visayas); 232 from National Capital Region (NCR); 136 from Calabarzon; 63 from Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); 59 from Region 2 (Cagayan Valley); 46 from Region 3 (Central Luzon); 37 from Region 4-B (Mimaropa); 29 from Region 1 (Ilocos); 13 from Region 5 (Bicol); five each from Region 7 (Central Visayas) and Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula); and one each from Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Region 11 (Davao), and Caraga,” she said, adding that nine returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) also tested positive for the subvariant.
The reported cases are based on the latest genome sequencing results from July 22 to 26. Of the total BA.5 tally, 650 cases are fully vaccinated, 18 are partially vaccinated while the vaccination statuses of the remaining 222 are still being verified. Their exposures and travel histories are still being verified too.
A total of 823 individuals are now tagged as recovered; 31 are still undergoing isolation, and the outcomes of the remaining 36 are still being verified.
There were also 18 additional BA.4 cases – seven from the NCR; six from Bicol; two from the Cordillera region; and one each from the Ilocos; Cagayan Valley; and Calabarzon.
Thirteen of them are fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the remaining five cases is still being verified. The DOH is also verifying their exposures and travel histories.
Seventeen are now tagged as recovered and the remaining case is still undergoing isolation.
About 15 additional BA.2.12.1 cases were also detected – five from the NCR; four from the Cordillera region; three from Calabarzon; one each from Region 1 (Ilocos) and 4-B; and one ROF tested positive for the BA.2.12.1 subvariant.
Their exposures, travel histories, and health status are still being verified. Eight are fully vaccinated, one is partially vaccinated, and the vaccination statuses of the remaining six are still being verified.
Of the tally, 14 are now tagged as recovered while the remaining case is still undergoing isolation.
To date, DOH records show, the country has logged a total of 1,997 BA.5 cases, 71 BA.4 cases, and 154 BA.2.12.1 cases.