MANILA (UPDATE) - The United Kingdom on Wednesday reported two cases of the COVID-19 variant first detected in the Philippines.

Manila's health department on Saturday confirmed a new COVID-19 variant called P.3, with a total of 98 cases so far detected.

• DOH confirms new COVID-19 variant first detected in PH, first case of Brazil variant

The UK said it considers P.3 a "variant under investigation."

"One of the cases is linked with international travel and the other is currently under investigation. All appropriate public health interventions are being undertaken," it said.

The P.3 might be more transmissible as it contains "mutations of concern" E484K and N501Y, which have also been detected in variants that originated from the UK and South Africa, and Brazil, respectively, the Philippine Genome Center earlier said.

It also belongs to the same lineage of the P.1 or the variant first detected in Brazil, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

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The P.3 is "not identified as a variant of concern as current available data are insufficient to conclude whether the variant will have significant public health implications," DOH added.

Earlier, Japan reported the detection of the new variant in a traveler from the Philippines.

• DOH confirms new COVID-19 variant first detected in PH, first case of Brazil variant

The Philippines on Tuesday tallied 4,437 more COVID-19 cases, raising its total to 631,320, with 57,736 active infections.

• PH logs 4,437 new COVID-19 cases, 5th straight day that daily count tops 4,000

It might reach 11,000 fresh cases daily by the end of the month if virus transmission is not curbed, the OCTA Research Group said.

• Daily COVID-19 cases can reach 11,000 by end of March if trend continues: OCTA

Metro Manila mayors have imposed a 2-week curfew beginning Monday and have prohibited minors from going outside to prevent virus spread.

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