The Department of Health (DOH) has reiterated its call to continue wearing face masks after it has confirmed a local transmission of COVID-19 Omicron subvariant Arcturus.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the lack of linkages among XBB.1.16 or Arcturus cases has led the department to declare its local transmission.
“Recent genome sequencing has revealed that there is an additional three XBB.1.16 cases or Arcturus cases in Western Visayas, we confirm that,” Vergeire said.
“We think, based on what we are seeing that there is already no linkage to any of these cases that we had been identifying, that there is a local transmission of Arcturus just like any of the different variants or the Omicron variant in the country,” she added.
Meanwhile, Vergeire encouraged the public to follow health protocols to stay safe from the local transmission of the subvariant.
“So, just always wear your mask if needed. Get vaccinated. Always remember that if you are experiencing symptoms, you should isolate to avoid spreading the virus,” Vergeire said.
The Arcturus subvariant is more transmissible but poses a low risk to infected people, according to the DOH’s risk assessment.
