DOH: UK COVID-19 variant not yet detected in Philippines

The Department of Health said Wednesday that the UK COVID-19 variant, identified as B.1.1.7, is not yet detected in the Philippines.

The DOH made the statement after Hong Kong authorities that a passenger from the Philippines tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant. The traveler arrived in Hong Kong on December 22, 2020.

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“The DOH and the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) today report that the said variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has not yet been detected in the country,” the DOH said in a statement.

“Based on the lineage analysis through whole-genome sequencing done by the PGC, the UK variant was not detected in any of the 305 positive samples submitted to them from nine institutions.”

PGC analyzed 305 positive samples collected from hospital admissions from November to December and from the travelers who arrived at the airport and tested positive for COVID-19.

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Meanwhile, the COVID-19 task force created a panel of experts tasked to monitor and identify the presence of the UK COVID-19 variant in the country.

The panel was led by DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. The group was also mandated to give policy recommendations to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on the appropriate response concerning the new COVID-19 strain.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the formation of the technical working group last December 26.

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DOH: UK COVID-19 variant not yet detected in Philippines

The Philippines has implemented a travel ban (until January 15) on 21 countries where the UK COVID-19 variant was detected:

(1) United Kingdom
(2) Denmark
(3) Ireland
(4) Japan
(5) Australia
(6) Israel
(7) The Netherlands
(8) Hong Kong SAR
(9) Switzerland
(10)France
(11)Germany
(12)Iceland
(13)Italy
(14)Lebanon
(16)Sweden
(17)South Korea
(18)South Africa
(19)Canada
(20)Spain
(21)USA
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration clarified that in the new ruling, starting January 3, passengers who are merely transiting through any of the countries covered by the ban will be allowed to enter, provided that they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry in the covered country by its immigration authorities.
“Aliens with connecting flights and merely had a layover in the 21 countries may now be allowed to enter if eligible for entry,” said Morente. “But if they left the airport or were cleared for arrival in the 21 countries, then they are prohibited from entering the Philippines,” he added.