DOH sees possible increase in COVID-19 cases following detection of JN.1

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 26) — The Department of Health (DOH) said it is expecting an increase in COVID-19 cases following the detection of the Omicron subvariant JN.1 that has been driving up infections in other countries.

“Because of the holiday travel and because of the interactions of people who have now gone out of their homes… we are bracing for a similar situation,” DOH Undersecretary Eric Tayag told CNN Philippines’The Source on Tuesday.

The DOH has confirmed the detection of 18 cases of JN.1 in the country after it reported a 50% increase in new COVID-19 infections.

This subvariant is currently the leading cause of infections in the US, which now makes up 44.2% of the total cases there.

Based on their monitoring, Tayag said there is still no surge in hospital admissions. There were also no severe cases of JN.1 in the country, he noted.

Tayag said existing COVID-19 vaccines are still effective against JN.1 even if it is highly transmissible.

Still, he reminded the public to frequently wash hands and avoid crowded places. For the vulnerable population, he recommended wearing face masks and completing their booster shots as an added layer of protection.

READ: Vulnerable population urged to wear face masks despite ‘mild’ JN.1 COVID-19 subvariant