The Philippines has detected the third COVID-19 Omicron variant case from a Filipino returning from Qatar with a history of travel in Egypt, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
The 36-year-old male arrived Nov. 28 at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport via Qatar Airways flight QR 924, said DOH spokesperson and Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
The patient has remained asymptomatic since his arrival, said Vergeire.
His sample was collected on Dec. 4, with the result released the following day. He again tested negative on Dec. 19 following a repeat RT-PCR test, Vergeire said.
“He completed his isolation in Cebu before traveling back to Cavite, his hometown, and immediately underwent home quarantine,” Vergeire said.
The returning Filipino is finishing his home quarantine, she added.
Meanwhile, the DOH has flagged five areas with a positive two-week growth in COVID-19 cases.
Vergeire said these were Iligan City, Olongapo City, Camiguin, Tawi-Tawi, and Aklan. Iligan City is classified as “moderate risk” for virus infections, while the rest are “low risk” for COVID-19, she said.
The DOH is still investigating the cause of the increase in cases in these areas, which remain under Alert Level 2, she said.
The Philippines logged 263 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total case count to 2,837,730.
Forty-five new fatalities brought the COVID-19 death toll to 50,784.
There were also 390 recoveries, bringing total recoveries to 2,777,354.
There were 9,592 active cases, of which 473 are asymptomatic; 3,569 mild; 3,375 moderate; 1,797 severe; and 378 critical.
The number of active cases is the lowest in almost one year and seven months, or since May 22, 2020 when 9,563 were logged.
Nationwide, 21 percent of ICU beds, 22 percent of isolation beds, 11 percent of ward beds, and 10 percent of ventilators, were in use.
In Metro Manila, 22 percent of ICU beds, 19 percent of isolation beds, 16 percent of ward beds, and 12 percent of ventilators, were in use.