MANILA: The Philippines' health ministry said on Sunday it has detected the first case of Covid-19's Lambda variant in the country, and reminded the public to strictly observe minimum public health standards.
The World Health Organization classifies Lambda as a "variant of interest", which was first identified in Peru in December, as laboratory studies showed it has mutations that resist vaccine-induced antibodies.
The Philippines recorded 14,749 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, its second-largest daily increase, bringing the country's total confirmed infections to 1.74 million.
The Department of Health also reported an additional 270 deaths, the third highest one-day spike in fatalities, increasing the death toll to 30,340.
