The Department of Health (DOH) identified the 44 close contacts of the country’s first case of the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.
Nine of the close contacts are from Quezon City, five in Benguet, and 30 were from the plane that transported them to Manila. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said two of the first nine contacts are asymptomatic and negative for COVID-19.
In its news release on April 27, the DOH said that the first case, a 52-year-old asymptomatic Finnish female, did not undergo routine isolation at a quarantine facility since she was fully vaccinated.
“The case then traveled to a university in Quezon City and then to Baguio City to conduct seminars. Nine days after her arrival in the country, she experienced mild symptoms such as headache and sore throat,” it stated, adding that the case tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.
Duque assured that the Philippines is prepared for a possible COVID-19 case resurgence, but renewed his call to the public to take their COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
“Lumalabas na parang Omicron din ito, ‘yung naunang BA.2 na relatively mild at hindi naman humantong karamdaman. Ang importante dito, natukoy natin sila. Ang vaccination coverage, at ang pinaka epektibong paraan pa rin minimum public health standards,” he said.
The health secretary said the World Health Organization is considering BA.2.12 as a variant under monitoring.
The DOH asked eligible individuals in an advisory on April 28 to get their booster shots at the soonest possible time due to vaccines’ waning protection, and for immunocompromised individuals to avail of their second booster dose. – With reports from Mark Fetalco/AG-bny
