THE Department of Health (DOH) has detected two cases of Omicron BA.5 subvariant in the country, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Friday, June 3, 2022.

Vergeire said the two cases were from Central Luzon. They are from the same household who experienced mild symptoms. They were both fully vaccinated and received booster doses.

She said the two persons manifested cough and colds, prompting them to isolate and get tested. They have already been tagged as recovered.

“Identified close contacts are household members who are undergoing isolation; one tested positive, the other negative,” said Vergeire.

The BA.5 was among the Omicron subvariants now spreading in several countries, such as South Africa, United States and United Kingdom.

Experts have yet to release information about the BA.5, although they said it is more transmissible than the mother Omicron variant, the most transmissible variant of Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

The DOH earlier detected 22 BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant cases and one case of BA.4.

It said there is already a local transmission of the BA.2.12.1 subvariant in the country. (SunStar Philippines)