Vergeire: DOH not ruling out COVID-19 mutation as cause of spike in cases in Central Visayas
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday said the two recently detected mutations maybe a factor in the spike of COVID-19 cases in Cebu.
“Because we know these variants [have] higher transmissibility,” Vergeire explained during the Laging Handa press briefing.
Vergeire, however, also said that the shift to a more relaxed community quarantine measure may also contributed to the spike.
“They have eased their restrictions. That might be a factor as well,” she said.
On Friday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it was still hard to attribute the rising cases in the region to the new mutations.
“Mahirap mong iugnay ‘yan nang gano’n na lamang or ng direktamenteng pag-uugnay, kasi marami rin tayong ibang factors na dapat alamin o obserbahan,” Duque said.
