The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Wednesday that COVID-19 cases in the Philippines remain mild and manageable, as public health authorities continuously monitor the situation in light of recently discovered variants.
As of May 20, 2024, all regions in the Philippines are classified as low risk for COVID-19. The DOH emphasizes the importance of voluntary face mask use and other standard precautions like hand washing, avoiding crowds, and ensuring good ventilation.
Despite the recent increase in cases, the DOH reports no scientific basis for imposing travel restrictions to any country.
Coordination with international health authorities remains strong, with the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) closely monitoring points of entry. Current entry requirements are streamlined through the etravel.gov.ph website or the eGovPH app.
As of May 18, 2024, only 12 percent of dedicated COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) beds (141 out of 1,155) and 14 percent of total COVID-19 beds (1,435 out of 10,356) are occupied. Severe and critical cases account for only nine percent (151) of total hospital admissions.
The average daily reported cases from May 14 to 20, 2024, have dropped to 202, significantly lower than the approximately 500 daily cases earlier this year and 1,750 daily cases in mid-May 2023.
Of the new cases reported during the week, 16 were severe or critical. Twelve deaths were recorded, with five occurring between May 7 and 20.
The DOH, along with the University of the Philippines -Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), continues sequencing efforts to monitor variants.
The flagged Omicron subvariants (KP.2 and KP.3) are considered likely present in the Philippines, but remain clinically mild and manageable. Four variants under monitoring (VUM) are currently tracked: JN.1.7, JN.1.18, KP.2, and KP.3—all descendants of JN.1.
The informal term “FLiRT,” used by some researchers to describe specific spike protein changes, is avoided by the DOH to prevent miscommunication about health risks. There is no evidence that the KP.2 and KP.3 variants are causing severe or critical COVID-19 cases locally or internationally.
Preventative measures such as good respiratory hygiene, hand washing, avoiding crowds, and ensuring good airflow are emphasized. The public is also advised to stay home if feeling unwell or to properly wear a mask if going out is necessary.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Philippines COVID-19 cases ‘mild and manageable;’ DOH advises against ‘FLiRT’ label for new strain“.
