By Alec Go
Officials of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) advised the public to hold Christmas celebrations virtually and practice health protocols amid the threat of the Omicron variant.
In the Dec. 4 Laging Handa briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the matter was brought up in the latest Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) meeting.
“Tayo po ay nagpapaalala pa rin sa ating mga kababayan that the virus is still here, let’s continue to practice the safety protocols,” Vergeire said.
“Kung magki-Christmas party po baka maaari, virtual parties muna. Let’s have that sacrifice first para po sa kapakanan ng ating pamilya at sa kapakanan po ng buong sambayanang Pilipino,” she added.
The official said the government has started releasing social media cards and videos on how to conduct safe Christmas celebrations.
In the same briefing, PGC Executive Director Dr. Cynthia P. Saloma no Omicron case has been detected in the Philippines yet out of the 18,000 sequenced samples.
“It’s not just a question of—it’s a question of if it is here, it’s just a question of when. Kaya, kailangan po talaga tayong maghanda at saka iyong ating health care facilities ma-improve natin,” she said.
Citing a gathering in Norway with several attendees detected of the new variant, the health expert said the public should comply with health standards to prevent a similar incident from happening in the country.
“Mas maganda po ngayong taon mag-virtual Christmas party po muna tayo kung puwede,” she said.
All areas in the country have been placed under Alert Level 2 with establishments given at least 50% venue and operational capacity. The government said it is still studying Alert Level 1 parameters. – bny
