MANILA (Reuters) — 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 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.
Service delivery riders queue to get vaccinated with Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine in a shopping mall parking lot turned into a drive-thru vaccination site in Quezon City, Metro Manila on Aug. 13, 2021.


