Only 13 cases had the Delta variant, which was first reported in India, while two had the Gamma variant, which was first seen in Brazil. A further 163 cases had the Theta variant, which was discovered in Central Visayas, and is still considered a variant under investigation by the WHO. He added the variants could have contributed to the spikes in the number of cases in the country. But Abeyasinghe stressed that the variants can still be controlled through the enforcement of minimum health standards and vaccination. "If we can do [these protocols] properly, we can still control the variants of concern and suppress the transmission," he said.

Source: Manila Times June 07, 2021 16:29 UTC