The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has created a technical working group on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) variants in accordance with the order of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
In a statement, Presidential and IATF-EID Spokesperson Harry Roque pointed out that the TWG will “monitor and identify the occurrence of new variants of COVID-19 in the country” and will “provide policy recommendations to the IATF on the appropriate response regarding these variants.”
“Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire will chair the Technical Working Group. Executive Director Jaime Montoya of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development will serve as Co-Chair,” he disclosed.
The IATF-EID also agreed that all foreign travels from countries covered by the travel restrictions due to the new COVID-19 variant will not be allowed to enter the Philippines except for restricted conditions. However, if a traveler is a returning Filipino, a 14-day facility-based quarantine period is required.
“In addition, any individual arriving in the Philippines who may have received vaccination for COVID-19 in other countries/jurisdictions shall still be required to observe the mandatory testing and quarantine protocols,” Roque expounded.
In relation to this, the DOH along with the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) clarified that they have not detected the new COVID-19 strain in the country. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
