FILE PHOTO: Test tube labeled “COVID-19 Omicron variant test positive” is seen in this illustration picture taken January 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday confirmed the presence of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Eastern Visayas.
Dr. Rodolfo Antonio Albornoz, assistant regional director of the DOH, said there are at least 28 persons who were infected with the Omicron variant in the region.
Their tests were part of the 90 samples that the DOH sent to the Philippine Genome Center.
Albornoz believed the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in the region was partly due to the presence of the Omicron variant.
Of the 28 Omicron cases, eight were from Tacloban City, Leyte; seven from Catbalogan City, Samar; three from Ormoc City, Leyte; two each from the towns of Tunga, Leyte and San Jorge, Samar; and one each from the municipalities of Zumarraga, Gandara, Hinabangan, all in Samar province; Guiuan and Borongan City, both in Eastern Samar; and Macrohon in Southern Leyte.
With the presence of the Omicron variant in the region, Albornoz appealed to the public to strictly follow all the health protocols mandated by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“The DOH in Eastern Visayas will also strengthen its vaccination campaign and will conduct a regional vaccination on January 31 up to February 2 to reach our target of 70 percent out of the region’s total population of 4.8 million,” Albornoz said.
At present, he said there are still 2.3 million people across the region that remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.
On Thursday, the DOH reported 386 new COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas, bringing its total active cases to 3,363.
SARS-COV-2 is the latest strain of coronavirus that causes severe respiratory illness COVID-19. It was first detected in late 2019 in China. Since 2020, SARS-CoV-2 went through a number of mutations that resulted in different variants including Delta and Omicron which are said to be the most contagious yet of all variations.