The Department of Health (DOH) has detected two BN.1 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with both having already recovered.

In October 2022, the first case was detected from a returning overseas Filipino from Kuwait, while the second case was a local whose specimen was collected in November 2022.

Meanwhile, the BN.1 is a sublineage of the BA.2.275 COVID-19 which is considered a "variant under monitoring" due to its increased prevalence globally.

DOH said that the subvariant was flagged as caused by mutations that may lead to "enhanced immune evasion."