Following the sustained biosurveillance efforts of the government, the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the UP-National Institutes of Health have confirmed the detection of eight additional COVID-19 cases positive for the B.1.1.7 or United Kingdom variant.This brings the total B.1.1.7 variant cases in the country to 25.

The DOH, UP-PGC, and UP-NIH further reported that no other variant of concern had been detected, the DOH said in its latest update report on the UK variant posted Friday night.

Three of the eight additional cases are from Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Of the three cases, two females aged 25 and 54 were identified as close contacts of a previously reported B.1.1.7 variant case who is part of the Bontoc cluster.

The third case is a 31-year-old male whose link to the Bontoc cluster is still being verified. To date, the 54-year-old female has recovered, while the remaining two are active cases and are currently being managed.

Meanwhile, two additional cases are from La Trinidad, Benguet. One of the two cases is a 15-year-old female and relative of the previously identified B.1.1.7 variant case in La Trinidad. She is currently asymptomatic and in isolation as part of the management of contacts of the first B.1.1.7 variant case identified in La Trinidad.

The other case is an 84-year-old male who had no known history of travel nor contact with any B.1.1.7 variant case and is part of a separate cluster of cases in the city. The said case was recorded to have died last January 24, 2021.

Moreover, two of the additional B.1.1.7 variant cases are Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF). The first is a 29-year-old female who arrived from UAE on January 7, 2021 aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 659. The second is a 54-year-old male with a reported local address in Talisay, Cebu. Both cases of ROF have since recovered.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs said there were no unauthorized COVID-19 vaccines so far in the Philippines despite reports of alleged illegal vaccination in the country.

Customs Spokesperson Vincent Philip Maronilla said the agency had intensified screening the national borders for the entry of smuggled coronavirus vaccine jabs, with the seaports and airports on “red alert.

”“There are] no seizures yet of any illicit or unauthorized vaccines . . . We have beefed up capability to screen imports for the fake vaccines, but they will in no way hamper the arrival of the legit vaccine,” Maronilla told ANC in an interview.

Under the Food and Drug Administration law, the importation, sale and administering of unregistered vaccines should result in a penalty of a fine or imprisonment, but health officials earlier said they did not have information yet to hold anyone accountable.
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