A man gets swabbed for COVID-19 testing. (Photo from the Faceboook page of the Office of the Vice President)
MANILA, Philippines — The new cases of the Omicron subvariants BA.5 and BA.2.12.1that have been found in the latest genome testing are “not directly related” to the slow rise in COVID-19 infections, the Department of Health (DOH).
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday that 10 more cases of BA.2.12.1 and six new cases of BA.5 with unknown travel histories and exposure were found in the results of the genome sequencing run as of June 13.
Of the 16 cases, seven were fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the rest were being verified.
“The DOH would like to say that the slow increase in cases is not directly related to the entry of subvariants,” Vergeire added.
—KATHLEEN DE VILLA
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