The Department of Health (DOH) announced that there are 8 new UK COVID-19 variant cases in the Philippines on Friday.
“Following the sustained biosurveillance efforts of the government, the Department of Health (DOH), the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the UP-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) confirm the detection of eight (8) additional COVID-19 cases positive for the B.1.1.7 variant (UK variant). This brings the total B.1.1.7 variant cases in the country to 25,” the DOH said in a statement.
The DOH also said that no other variant of concern has been detected.
Three of the 8 additional cases are from Bontoc, Mountain Province.
“Of the 3 cases, two (2) females aged 25 and 54 were identified as close contacts of a previously reported B.1.1.7 variant case who is part of the Bontoc cluster. The third case is a 31-year-old male whose link to the Bontoc cluster is still being verified,” the statement added.
Two other cases were from La Trinidad, Benguet.
“One of the 2 cases is a 15-year-old female and relative of the previously identified B.1.1.7 variant case in La Trinidad,” the DOH said.
Also, the DOH added that one overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from the UAE also tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant.
Another one was a 54-year-old male with a reported local address in Talisay, Cebu. Both returning Filipinos have already recovered.
The eighth additional case is a 35-year-old male from Liloan, Cebu whose sample was collected last January 17.
“The exposure and travel history of this case is also being verified,” the DOH said.
“The Department of Health, through its Centers for Health Development, together with the concerned local government units, shall conduct immediate case investigation and intensified contact tracing and back tracing to identify the sources of infection for the cases with no known link to previously reported B.1.1.7 variant cases,” the DOH added.
The first recorded case of the UK variant was recorded last January 7 from a 27 year-old male who arrived from Dubai from a business trip.
