Philippines detects over 800 new BA.5 Omicron cases

Commuters wearing face masks as they queue at a bus station in Mandaluyong, Philippines. - Reuters

MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): The Philippines has detected 816 additional cases of the BA.5 Omicron subvariant of Covid-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

According to the DOH officer in charge, Maria Rosaria Vergeire, all regions detected the variant except for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the latest sequencing run, while 12 returning overseas Filipinos tested positive for the BA.5 Omicron subvariant as well.