Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche. (Screengrab from OPAV video) CEBU CITY - Only three of the 24 new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Central Visayas were admitted for treatment and all the patients have already recovered. Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said in a briefer at the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center on Friday as of January 25 data, the region now has a total of 46 Omicron cases. She also clarified in a phone interview that based on data from the Epidemiology Bureau of the DOH central office, there were 24 samples and not 20, as reported by media, that were found positive for the Omicron variant. "The swab specimens for this batch were taken last Dec. 25, 2021 to Jan. 5, 2022," Loreche said. The number of samples sent to the Philippine Genome Center in Quezon City for sequencing since the first batch now runs at 378. "
NEW YEAR WOUNDS. The Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office has reported five firecracker-related injuries during their "Iwas Paputok" reporting period from Dec. 21, 2021 to Jan. 5, 2022. Dr. Leoncio Abiera, Jr. said during an interview on Thursday (Jan. 6, 2022) that the excitement of the people to celebrate Christmas and New Year caused an increase in injuries this year when compared with 2021 cases.(Photo courtesy of Antique IPHO) SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - Five incidents of firecracker-related injuries were recorded in Antique from Dec. 21, 2021 to Jan. 5, 2022 monitoring period of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO). IPHO Health Officer 1, Dr. Leoncio Abiera Jr., said on Thursday four of the cases were considered as active or the victims were directly involved in the lighting of the firecracker while one is passive or the injury was accidentally obtained. "Four of the victims were minors with only one adult," Abiera said in an interview.