The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that there is now a local transmission of the UK COVID-19 variant in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

“The Department of Health confirms local transmission in Bontoc of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 as identified through genomic sequencing,” it said in a statement.

The new variant of the coronavirus is more transmissible compared to other COVID-19 variants.

“To date, all identified cases with the UK variant can be epidemiologically linked to cases coming directly from outside the country (importation) or from specific cases or exposures that can still be identified (local transmission),” the DOH said.

So far there are 17 confirmed cases of the UK COVID-19 variant in the Philippines.

Twelve of the cases came from 2 barangays in Bontoc, Mountain Province, two among those who had taken a flight from Lebanon, and 1 each from Benguet and Laguna.

The first recorded case of the UK variant was recorded last January 7 from a 29-year-old male who arrived from Dubai from a business trip.