COVID-19 cases in Philippines hit near two-month high

MANILA, Philippines — The number of new COVID-19 infections in the Philippines hit its highest in nearly two months as the Department of Health reported on Sunday 308 new cases of the disease.

Why this matters

• This is the most number of cases reported in a single day since April 20, when the country reported 365 new infections.
   
• The DOH has noticed a slight uptick in cases nationwide amid the detection of various subvariants of the Omicron variant, namely BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5.
   
• BA.5 is one of two Omicron subvariants that the World Health Organization identified as having driven infections in South Africa in May.

How alarming is this?

• Despite the slight increase in cases, the DOH has said that this has so far not translated into higher hospitalization and intensive care unit utilization rates.
   
• The BA.5 Omicron subvariant, while indeed more infectious, does not cause severe and critical disease, according to the DOH.
   
• The DOH adds that existing protocols to curb the transmission of the virus, which include good hand hygiene and mask wearing, still work against the subvariants.

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