MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday insisted that there is no emergence yet of the P.1 COVID-19 variant that originated from Brazil (Brazil variant), after Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte reported that her city has one such case.
In a virtual press conference, Belmonte said that her city has 18 cases of COVID-19 variants: 13 of which were of B.1.1.7 variant from the United Kingdom (UK variant), four of the B.1.351 variant from South Africa (South African variant), and one “Brazilian variant.”
But in a text message to INQUIRER.net, DOH spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the Philippines has no case of the Brazilian variant …
Keep on reading: COVID-19 Brazilian variant in QC? Belmonte says so, but DOH clarifies