54 cases of Omicron XBB.1.9.1 detected in the Philippines, posing a challenge to the health system. WHO dismisses outbreak fears.

The Philippines has detected 54 cases of the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.9.1, which may pose a challenge to the country’s health system as it spreads rapidly. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the variant does not appear to cause “outbreaks of massive proportions.” The country has logged a total of 39 new cases of the variant. Concerns are high due to the high transmissibility of this subvariant relative to the original Omicron strain. The Philippines is working to ramp up its vaccination efforts to combat this new threat.