Philippines detects country's 1st omicron cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines said Wednesday it has detected its archetypal cases of the omicron strain successful 2 travelers who arrived precocious from Japan and Nigeria.

The Department of Health said the omicron variant was detected successful a Filipino man, who flew backmost location from Japan connected a Philippine Airlines formation connected Dec. 1. The 2nd lawsuit was detected successful a Nigerian national, who arrived successful Manila from his state via Oman Air connected Nov. 30.

Both travelers tested affirmative for the coronavirus aft accomplishment and the results of further tests showed connected Tuesday that they were infected by the omicron strain, the section said.

The 2 are confined successful a government-run isolation installation without immoderate symptoms, the wellness section said, adding it was checking whether immoderate of their chap passengers successful their flights to the Philippines had been infected too.

Health officials renewed their telephone for Filipinos to deterioration protective masks properly, lavation and disinfect their hands often and enactment safely distant from radical and large crowds.

“We proceed to punctual the nationalist not to fto their defender down, to religiously observe minimum nationalist wellness standards and telephone upon each those unvaccinated to get their jabs arsenic soon arsenic possible,” statesmanlike spokesperson Karlo Nograles told a televised quality conference.

The Philippines imposed 1 of the strictest and longest lockdowns successful the satellite aft the pandemic deed successful March past year, causing its system to plummet by 9.5% past twelvemonth successful the country’s worst recession since World War II.

Health officials reported conscionable 237 confirmed infections with 100 deaths Wednesday.