Six travelers from India who arrived in the Philippines before it imposed a two-week travel ban tested positive for the coronavirus, the Department of Health said Wednesday.
A total of 110 travelers from India were tested, DOH Usec. Rosario Vergeire said. The travel ban was imposed on April 29 to stop the spread of the B.1.617 variant, which is suspected to be fueling a record surge in infections in India.
"Anim turned out to be positive and it is now submitted to the Philippine Genome Center for whole genome sequencing,” Vergeire said. The test will confirm if these patients have the B.1.617 variant.
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India first reported the B.1.617 variant in October. The WHO has yet to confirm whether it is more transmissible or deadlier than other variants.
-- With reports from Agence France Presse