The Department of Health (DOH) said people should not be alarmed over the presence of the Omicron subvariant BF.7, which has caused COVID-19 cases to climb in Beijing.

Four cases of the BF.7 subvariant were found in the whole genome sequencing report of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) on Thursday.

The DOH, in a statement Friday, said following the minimum public health standards can prevent transmission.

"There are measures that we can address and control, rather than focusing on the presence of a transmissible variant," said the DOH.

"If such factors will be adhered to and implemented by ourselves immediately, decline in cases may be observed sooner," it added.

Minimum public health standards mean people should wear best-fitting face masks, isolating when sick, doubling-up protection through vaccines and boosters and ensuring good airflow inside rooms and offices.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the DOH said: ''With the expected increase in mobility during the holiday season, projections estimate daily cases in the country to reach 4,114 by January 15."

"In this scenario, severe and critical admissions are expected to reach 2,252 admissions by mid-January as well," it added.

The DOH said COVID-19 cases nationwide average 973 daily cases for December 16 to 22.

It added that the COVID-19 healthcare utilization rate as of December 21, is at 21.73 percent. DMS