3 new UK COVID-19 variant cases found in Davao Region

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Philippines has detected 19 more cases of the more transmissible UK COVID-19 variant, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday night, bringing the number of patients infected with the strain to 44.

In a statement, the DOH said of the 19 new cases with the B.1.1.7 variant, 3 are from Davao Region, 2 are from Calabarzon, and 8 are returning overseas Filipinos.

The DOH has yet to determine whether the remaining 6 cases are local cases or returning overseas Filipinos.

DETAILS ON NEW CASES

The three additional people infected with the new variant in Davao Region are a 10-year-old male, a 54-year-old female, and a 33-year-old male.

The three cases have no known link to each other and have mild symptoms.

The two cases from Calabarzon, meanwhile, are both women. One is a 20-year-old who has recovered and was swabbed last December 20 with no known exposure.

The other case is a 76-year-old with exposure to a positive case last January 21 and is currently experiencing mild symptoms.

Meanwhile, the 8 returning overseas Filipinos are 4 males and 4 females, all aged between 28 and 53 years. Six of the cases are being managed in isolation facilities while two have been tagged as recovered.

The DOH, Philippine Genome Center, and the UP National Institutes of Health said no other variant of concern has been detected.

Contact tracing and case investigations are also underway.

The new cases are part of the sixth batch of 718 samples sequenced by the UP-PGC last February 8. The samples are sourced from all regions, except BARMM.

A Quezon City resident was the first person in the Philippines who tested positive for the UK coronavirus variant, which was detected mid-January.

• UK COVID-19 variant now in the Philippines, says DOH

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