Co-passengers of first 2 Omicron cases advised to monitor for symptoms
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Wednesday advised all passengers in the same flight as the first two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the country to monitor for symptoms.
One of the cases is a returning Filipino who arrived from Japan on December 1 via Philippine Airlines flight number PR 0427.
The other case is a Nigerian who arrived from Nigeria on November 30 via Oman Air with flight number WY 843.
"At the first sign of COVID-19 symptoms, travelers should contact their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) in their respective LGUs or via DOH hotlines (02) 894-COVID or 1555 to get the assistance they need," the DOH said in an advisory.
— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) December 15, 2021
The health department added that LGUs have been instructed to report and isolate any passenger from the two flights who has shown symptoms within 14 days after arrival.
'All international travelers tested negative'
With the detection of two imported Omicron variant cases in the Philippines, the DOH assured the public that all international travelers entering the country tested negative for COVID-19 before being released from quarantine.
The agency also highlighted the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19, which has so far infected 2.8 million in the Philippines.
"DOH advises the public, especially the elderly and the immunocompromised to get their COVID-19 vaccine primary series as soon as possible, and booster once eligible," the agency said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
Follow this page for updates on the new COVID-19 variant, dubbed Omicron and originally detected in South Africa. Photo courtesy of the The STAR/Miguel de Guzman
The EU's drug regulator is expected to authorise the first Covid-19 vaccines for the Omicron variant, although they do not target the latest strains.
The adapted vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna will be discussed during an extraordinary meeting of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
European nations have been keen to rush through the new generation of jabs so they can start booster campaigns ahead of a feared Covid surge this winter.
The two so-called "bivalent" vaccines protect against the earlier BA.1 strain of Omicron, as well as the original Covid virus that emerged in China in 2019. — AFP
The Department of Health says an emerging Omicron subvariant, BA 2.75, had been detected in two individuals from Western Visayas.
The Department of Health confirms the detection of the COVID-19 Omicron subvariant BA.5 in the Philippines.
The DOH says two individuals from the same household in Central Luzon tested posiive with the subvariant.
Both patients have unknown exposure and have no travel history.
The first cases of Omicron BA.2.12.1 COVID-19 variant have been detected in the National Capital Region and Palawan, the Department of Health says.
The first two cases in NCR have both received their booster shot and are now tagged as asymptomatic and recovered after completing home isolation.
Meanwhile, 14 tourists and 1 local tested positive in Puerto Princesa City on April 29. All cases are now asymptomatic.
North Korea on Thursday confirms its first-ever case of Covid-19, with state media calling it a "severe national emergency incident" after more than two years of keeping the pandemic at bay.
The official KCNA news agency says the case was "consistent with" the virus' highly transmissible Omicron variant. — AFP
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