DOH confirms local transmission of Omicron subvariant Arcturus

The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Tuesday that Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, also known as Arcturus, has been transmitted locally in Western Visayas.

Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire announced at a press briefing that recent genome sequencing revealed three additional cases with no links to international cases or history of exposure.

The DOH later reported that the first XBB.1.16 case had already recovered without symptoms, and noted an increase in COVID-19 infections nationwide with 12,414 cases from May 8 to 14, a 31% rise compared to the previous week.