Department of Health (DOH) officials are set to fly to Cebu to clarify discrepancies on current testing and quarantine protocols for preventing COVID-19 transmission.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) agreed to strictly implement its protocols on all borders.
Under the current protocol, all inbound passengers are required to undergo testing on their seventh day of a 10-day facility-based quarantine. This is different in the case of Cebu wherein all passengers are tested upon arrival.
“Yes we will be going there. Ito po naman ay isang bagay na gusto nating gawin para po magkaroon na ng kalinawan na ito pong ating discrepancies sa protocols,” Vergeire said in a briefing on Friday (June 18).
“Everything can be managed through these discussions. We will be hearing them and they will be hearing us. And hopefully by the end of that day, resolved na po ‘yung matter,” she added.
Tight border restrictions are among the country’s measures to prevent the spread of emerging highly transmissible variants, including the Delta variant first recorded in India.
Dr. Edsel Salvana, an infectious disease expert, said in the June 18 Laging Handa briefing that the variants’ spread is under control in the country. There are currently 13 Delta variant cases in the country, the majority of whom are returning Filipinos.
“Mukang naiwasan naman natin ang pag-spread sa community for now, although closely mino-monitor po ito talaga dahil nakakatakot po talaga ang pinapakita nitong Delta variant sa iba’t-ibang bansa,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine is ineffective against COVID-19. This was after more than 300 vaccinated Indonesian health workers acquired COVID-19.
“Hindi po natin kakaila na meron talagang breakthrough infection, that’s what you call kapag fully vaccinated ka tapos nagka-impeksyon ka. Pero kailangan pa rin po natin malaman ang kumpletong datos para ma-analyze ‘yung real world studies,” she said.
Salvana said vaccines are still working, especially in preventing severe disease. He said many of those infected following inoculation were asymptomatic or had a mild form of the disease. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG- jlo
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