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PHL logs third Covid-19 Omicron variant case from sea-based OFW

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The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported the detection of a new case of Omicron variant in the latest batch of whole genome sequencing conducted by the Philippine Genome Center, raising to three the total cases of the new variant in the country.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also said that there were also 496 or 78.73 percent positive from Delta variant and one or 0.16 percent was positive from Alpha variant.

Vergeire said that the new Omicron variant case was detected from a 36-year-old sea-based overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who arrived in the country from Qatar on November 28,2021. He is unvaccinated but currently asymptomatic.

The case, who had travel history to Egypt, arrived at Mactan Cebu International Airport in Cebu City on November 28 via Qatar Airways, Flight number QR 924.

His sample was collected on December 4 and results of his RT-PCR was released on December 5.

He was quarantined in an isolation facility upon arrival. He tested negative on December 19. He is now under home quarantine in Cavite and was endorsed for vaccination.

Vergeire, meanwhile, said that the three close contacts of the case are currently in home quarantine. They tested negative for Covid-19.

“With the detection of Omicron in our borders, we need to enhance our preventive measures and ready our border and local health systems,” Vergeire said, stressing the need for stronger border surveillance and control, continue to mask, distance, and minimize visits to closed, crowded, and close contact settings.

The local government units, she said, should “actively look for cases and clusters, immediately isolate and contact trace, and test.”

“Vaccinate, especially those at high risk—A2 and A3,” the DOH official said.

Read full article on BusinessMirror

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