MANILA - There is a big possibility of local transmission of the Omicron variant as new Covid-19 cases continue to rise, an infectious disease expert said Saturday. The Omicron variant could be three to five times more transmissible than the Delta variant due to heavy mutations, Vaccine Expert Panel member Dr. Rontgene Solante said. Experts say the rise in the number of cases means increased virus transmission and possible mutations. "Sa situation natin ngayon (In our current situation), with the enormous number of people being positive with the short duration of time, then I would say there is already community transmission of Omicron variant," Solante said during a televised public briefing. The country logged 26,458 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, pushing active cases to 102,017, the highest since 106,558 on Oct. 9, 2021. Of the active cases, 94,007 are mild, 2,842 are moderate, 3,399 are asymptomatic, 1,462 are severe, and 307 are critical. In a Viber message to report
(File photo) MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday reported 1,656 recoveries and 26,458 new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections. The latest Covid-19 bulletin indicated 102,017 active cases while total recoveries rose to 2,782,723, or 94.8 percent of 2,936,875 infections since the pandemic started in March 2020. Out of the active cases, 94,007 are mild, 2,842 are moderate, 3,399 are asymptomatic, 1,462 are severe, and 307 are critical. "Of the 26,458 reported cases today, 26,277 (99 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days - Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 8, 2022," the DOH reported. The regions with the most cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region (NCR) with 16,139 or 61 percent of new infections; Calabarzon, 5,387 or 21 percent; and Central Luzon, 2,281 or 9 percent. The death toll has reached 52,135 with 265 new deaths, representing 1.78 percent of overall cases. "Of the 265 deaths, 15 occurred in January 2022 (6 percent), 2 in
(File photo) MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday reported 1,656 recoveries and 26,458 new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections. The latest Covid-19 bulletin indicated 102,017 active cases while total recoveries rose to 2,782,723, or 94.8 percent of 2,936,875 infections since the pandemic started in March 2020. Out of the active cases, 94,007 are mild, 2,842 are moderate, 3,399 are asymptomatic, 1,462 are severe, and 307 are critical. "Of the 26,458 reported cases today, 26,277 (99 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days - Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 8, 2022," the DOH reported. The regions with the most cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region (NCR) with 16,139 or 61 percent of new infections; Calabarzon, 5,387 or 21 percent; and Central Luzon, 2,281 or 9 percent. The death toll has reached 52,135 with 265 new deaths, representing 1.78 percent of overall cases. "Of the 265 deaths, 15 occurred in January 2022 (6 percent), 2 in