The health department said it has located five of the seven returning Filipinos from South Africa, as it continues to monitor arrivals that may carry the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.
This as the country reported just 379 coronavirus infections on Friday — the third-lowest daily tally in 17 months — bringing the total number of infections since the pandemic started in 2020 to 2.84 million.
The Philippines is trying to test more inbound travelers to prevent an outbreak of the Omicron variant — first identified in South Africa — which experts said has a large number of mutations and could pose a greater threat than the Delta strain.
“We have already located another five, so we are just trying to locate two of these travelers,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire told reporters in a Viber message.
The agency has yet to give further details about the travelers who arrived in the country between Nov. 15 and 29.
Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said separately in an interview with CNN Philippines that he wanted the names of the still missing arrivals from South Africa published so that their neighbors will know that authorities are searching for them.
He said he was planning to suggest his idea to the Interior and Local department and an inter-agency pandemic task force. “But we have to clear this because there are legal implications in having their names printed or published.”
LOW DAILY TALLY
Meanwhile, the country reported 379 coronavirus infections on Friday, which is the third-lowest daily tally in 17 months.
The pandemic’s total death toll hit 49,961 after 25 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 631 to 2.77 million, the Department of Health said in a bulletin.
There were 11,905 active cases, the health department said, 757 of whom did not show symptoms, 4,860 were mild, 3,797 were moderate, 2,060 were severe, and 431 were critical.
The agency said 20% of the 25 reported deaths occurred in December, 24% in November, 28% in October, 20% in September, 4% in August, and 4% in July.
It said 25% of the beds in intensive care units in the Philippines were occupied, while the rate for Metro Manila was 28%.
The Health department said six duplicates were removed from the tally, five of which were reclassified as recoveries, while 19 recoveries were relisted as deaths.
It added that 169 patients had tested negative and were removed from the tally. Of these, 164 were recoveries. Four laboratories did not operate on Dec. 8.
RED LIST
Also on Friday, the government said that Portugal would be added to its so-called red list for travel starting Dec. 12 at 12:01 a.m.
Fully vaccinated passengers who have been to Portugal 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines should undergo facility-based quarantine and take an RT-PCR test on the 7th day, acting presidential spokesman Carlo Alexei B. Nograles said in his regular news briefing. They may be discharged upon the release of negative test results, but they must quarantine at home until the 14th day after their arrival.
Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated travelers and those whose vaccination status cannot be confirmed are required to quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved facility and take a swab test on the 7th day. “Plus they shall observe home quarantine until the 14th day with the day of arrival being the first day.”
All inbound passengers, regardless of vaccination status, are required to present a negative swab test result taken within 72 hours before their departure from Portugal.
Mr. Nograles said only Filipinos covered by government-initiated repatriation programs and so-called Bayanihan flights would be allowed to enter the country beginning Dec. 15.
MOCK ELECTIONS
Meanwhile, the Palace official said the Philippines’ coronavirus task force has approved the Commission on Elections’ request to hold nationwide mock elections on Dec. 29.
This will “ensure the safe and effective conduct” of the 2022 elections, he said.
The mock elections “will test on how accurate, true, and secure the election process,” Comelec Deputy Executive Director for Operations Teofisto Elnas, Jr. said earlier. — Kyle Aristophere Atienza