The country reported its first cases of the virulent strain on Tuesday (May 11), with health officials telling reporters the B1617 variant was found in two Filipinos returning from the Middle East who had not been to India. The World Health Organisation has classified B1617, first detected in India in October, as a "variant of global concern", with some preliminary studies showing that it spreads more easily. Two Filipino seafarers, aged 37 and 58, who arrived in Manila from Oman and the United Arab Emirates in mid-April, were found to be infected with the variant. In line with the Philippines' travel rules, both were immediately quarantined upon arrival at the airport and tested positive for Covid-19 about a week later.