Coronavirus: Philippines finds first Lambda variant case; South Korea sets up ‘bus walls’ to block protesters
- The WHO classifies Lambda as a ‘variant of interest’, which was first identified in Peru
- Despite the government’s warnings over the spread of Covid-19, some groups pushed ahead with annual protests in Seoul
The Philippines’ health department 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 patient is a 35-year-old female who has since recovered, the Department of Health said, adding it was still validating if she was a Filipino returning from overseas.
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 on Sunday recorded 14,749 new Covid-19 infections, its second-biggest daily increase, and 270 additional deaths.
With more than 1.74 million infections and 30,340 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest virus cases and fatalities in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.
‘Bus walls’ block Korean protesters
South Korean police mobilised hundreds of buses and set up dozens of checkpoints on Sunday to head off political rallies in Seoul, as some groups pushed ahead with annual protests in defiance of warnings over the spread of the novel coronavirus.