The Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday that it has recorded an

additional 19 cases of the more infectious UK variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the variant in the Philippines to 44.

The DOH said the additional cases were part of the sixth batch of 718 samples sequenced by the Philippine Genome Center on February 8, which were sourced from all regions in the country except for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The samples were carefully selected by the DOH to ensure representation of each region and areas where spike in cases of Covid-19 were recorded.

According to DOH, the indicated addresses of three of the 19 cases is in the Davao Region, which is made up of  a 10-year-old boy, a 54-year-old woman, and a 33 year-old man.

Two cases showed an indicated addresses in Calabarzon or Region 4A involving a 20-year-old woman and another 76-year-old woman.

Eight of the 19 cases are returning overseas Filipinos with an age range of 28 to 53 years old, according to the DOH, and were composed of four men and four women. Six of the returning Filipinos are already in ROF isolation facilities, while the two others have been tagged as recoveries.

“Case investigation and contact tracing have been initiated to verify reported information and trace possible sources of infection. The DOH shall release additional information once available,” the agency said.