BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
TUGUEFARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 17)—The Department of Health (DoH) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has confirmed at least 16 cases of variants of concern (VoC) of Covid-19 recorded in the region.
According to DoH-Region 2, the Covid-19 VoC cases were recorded in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino.
Cagayan Valley comprises the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and the island province of Batanes.
The Health department said the recorded VoC cases included 14 UK variants and two South African variants, adding nine were local transmissions and seven were from returning overseas Filipino workers.
The UK variant cases are from Ilagan City, and the towns of Alicia, Benito Soliven, Cordon and Gamu, all in Isabela province.
The UK variant was also recorded in Tuguegarao City and the town of Peñablanca in the province of Cagayan as well as in the town of Diffun in Quirino province.
The two cases of the South African variant were from the town of Baggao in Cagayan province and the town of Sta. Maria in Isabela province.
According to the department, these variants were discovered in the Cagayan Valley region
after samples were brought regularly to Philippine Genome Center in Manila for genome sequencing.
It said no VoC case from the Indian variant has been recorded in the region.
This variant is known to be more dangerous and bizarre.