Negros Oriental recorded the first case of the highly contagious Omicron BA.4 variant in the Philippines.
This was confirmed by Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion, who said that a resident of Dauin in the province tested positive for the Omicron subvariant BA.4.
But she stressed the patient has already recovered.
She said the patient came from the Middle East and was quarantined in a hotel in Manila for 14 days, and has since recovered.
They only found out later that the patient was positive for the BA.4 subvariant, which is considered as a variant of concern because it can infect even those who have been vaccinated.
The patient’s family is currently in quarantine and has been subjected to swab testing.
Negros Oriental currently has five COVID-19 active cases.*