Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported over 900 new cases of Omicron subvariants BA.5, BA.4, and BA.2.12.1 based on its latest sequencing run.
In a press briefing, DOH Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary of Public Health Services Team Beverly Ho said there are 890 new cases of the BA.5 bringing the total cases of the subvariant to 1,997.
The DOH said the new BA.5 cases were detected in all regions except Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Nine returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) also tested positive for BA.5.
The department added that 823 have already recovered, 31 are still isolating, and the status of 36 others is still being verified.
Further, the number of BA.4 cases rose to 71 after 18 more individuals tested positive for the subvariant.
Of the 18 new cases, seven are from the National Capital Region (NCR), six from the Bicol Region, two from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and one each from Ilocos , Cagayan Valley, and Calabarzon.
Seventeen of the additional BA.4 cases are now tagged as recovered, while the remaining patient is still undergoing isolation.
Meanwhile, the DOH logged 15 more BA.2.12.1 patients. This brings the total number of BA.2.12.1 cases to 154.
Out of the additional BA.2.12.1 infections, five are from NCR, four from CAR, three from Calabarzon, one each from Ilocos Region and Mimaropa, and one ROF.
The department added that 14 of them have already recovered, while four others are still isolating.
The DOH said the exposure and travel histories of the newly detected cases of Omicron subvariants are still being verified.
