The Muntinlupa City Health Office said there are no cases of the new variants of Covid-19 in the city amid the start of screening for arrivals at the country’s points of entry.

Dr. Juancho Bunyi, CHO head, said as of May 28, there are only four active Covid-19 cases with mild and moderate symptoms in the city confined at the city-run Ospital ng Muntinlupa in Alabang.

Dr. Juancho Bunyi, Muntinlupa City Health Office chief (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)

“No new variants reported as per DOH [Department of Health],” said Bunyi.

The country’s Bureau of Quarantine ordered the screening at points of entry on all arrivals from countries where Covid-19 FLiRT cases have been reported.

The DOH said based on the update by the World Health Organization (WHO), the three new variants of Covid-19 being monitored are JN.1.18, KP.2 and KP.3, which are “descendants of JN.1.”

It said KP.2 and KP.3 are known as the “FLiRT” variants, “a nickname coined by some researchers to describe amino acid changes in the COVID-19 virus’ spike protein, specifically from phenylalanine (F) to leucine (L) at position 456, and from arginine (R) to threonine (T) at position 346.”

WHO observed that “there are currently no reported laboratory or epidemiological reports indicating any association between VOIs/VUMs and increased disease severity.”

In the Philippines, the DOH reported that from May 7 to 13, a total of 877 new Covid-19 cases were recorded with an average of 125 reported cases per day.

It said that while there is an increase of Covid-19 cases in the country recently, it is small and lower compared to previous observed increases.

Of the 877, seven had severe or critical disease and five people died, which occurred from April 30 to May 13.

“All Philippine regions remain to be at low risk for COVID-19. There is no scientific basis for travel restrictions to any country because of an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Department remains to be in close coordination with international health authorities, and its Bureau of Quarantine is keeping watch over points of entry nationwide. The voluntary use of face masks should be done properly, along with standard precautions like hand washing, avoiding crowds, and choosing good airflow,” the DOH said.

As of May 12, only 11 percent (119/1,117) of dedicated Covid-19 ICU (intensive care unit) beds were occupied and only 13 percent (1,238/9,571) of dedicated Covid-19 non-ICU beds were occupied, the DOH added.

Severe and critical Covid-19 cases admitted in various hospitals total 116, based on hospital reports in the DOH Data Collect application.