Third Philippine case of omicron variant discovered in Filipino returning from Qatar

The Department of Health (DOH) has announced that a third case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country has been found in a Filipino returning from Qatar.

According to the DOH, the individual is a 36-year-old male who arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on November 28 onboard the Qatar Airways flight QR924.

His positive test result was discovered on December 5 after his sample was collected on December 4. He is asymptomatic and his latest test last December 19 showed him to be negative of the virus. The person is in home quarantine in Cavite after completing his quarantine in Cebu.

This third case comes four days after the DOH announced that the country had discovered its first two cases of the omicron variant in two individuals - a returning overseas Filipino from Japan and a Nigerian national who are both currently asymptomatic.

Before the arrival of the omicron variant, the national government had held National Vaccination Days earlier this month, increasing the number of people who have had a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by nearly 10 million people.

Booster shots have recently been made available to fully vaccinated adults ), after fully vaccinated health workers were given the go signal to get boosters last month.

In a Facebook post, the DOH shared that those who have been administered the full doses of the Sinovac, Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Gamaleya Sputnik vaccines six months ago can get boosters. Those who were administered the Janssen vaccine three months ago can also get boosters.

Check out these Kapuso stars who have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine in the gallery below.