THE country has detected 618 more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), pushing the total tally to 1,153, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

Twenty of the Omicron variant cases were detected in Central Visayas, raising the total number of Omicron cases in the region to 47, by SunStar’s count.

Of the 618 additional Omicron cases, 497 were local cases, while 121 were returning overseas Filipinos.

A total of 13 cases were still active, two had died, 560 were tagged as recovered and 43 were still being verified.

Of the local cases, 238 were in Metro Manila, 71 in Calabarzon, 30 in Ilocos Region and Western Visayas, 27 in Central Luzon, 20 in Central Visayas and 19 in Cagayan Valley.

Thirteen cases were also detected in Cordillera Administrative Region, 10 in Davao Region, six in Soccsksargen, two in Bicol Region, and one each in Mimaropa and Northern Mindanao.

The first 22 cases of Omicron in Central Visayas were first confirmed on Jan. 18. (TPM, CTL)