DOH: PH’s 1st Omicron subvariant BA.2.12 case had 44 close contacts

Logo of the Department of Health over a graphic representation of the SARS-COV 2, which causes the coronavirus disease

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s first case of the BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant had nine close contacts in Quezon City, five in Benguet, and 30 while aboard the commercial flight going to Manila, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

“As to the close contacts, she had nine close contacts in Quezon City, she also had five close contacts in Benguet and all of them are being closely monitored. some of them were tested already which turned out to be negative,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

“We got the manifesto already from the airplane. We had our contact tracing already. She had a total of 30 close contacts, near contacts in the airplane,” Vergeire added.

According to Vergeire, most of the close contacts of the patient were fully vaccinated and that some of them already tested negative for COVID-19.

“All of them are being closely monitored and nobody is experiencing symptoms as of this time,” the health official said.

The country’s first case of the BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant was a 52-year-old Finnish woman who arrived from Finland on April 2.

The DOH earlier said the woman traveled to a university in Quezon City and in Baguio to conduct seminars.

According to Vergeire, the woman tested negative in her pre-departure test in Finland. The woman, who was fully vaccinated, was allowed entry to the Philippines because she initially did not show symptoms.

However, she began to show COVID-19 symptoms on April 10. Vergeire said that considering the 14-day incubation period of the virus, it is possible that the woman got infected in her home country or during her travel to the Philippines.

The woman finished her seven-day isolation, has recovered, and was already discharged, according to the DOH, adding that the woman returned to Finland on April 21.

/MUF