Two imported cases of the fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 were detected from 48 samples sequenced on Dec. 14, health officials said Wednesday. It was the first time the variant, which first emerged in South Africa and spread to Europe and the United States, was spotted in the Philippines.
The two Omicron variant cases are incoming travelers and are currently isolated in a facility managed by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
One is a returning overseas Filipino who arrived from Japan on Dec.1, 2021 via Philippine Airlines flight number PR 0427. The sample was collected on Dec. 5, 2021, and his positive result was released on Dec. 7. The case was admitted in an isolation facility on the samedate. He is currently asymptomatic but had colds and cough upon arrival.
The other case is a Nigerian national who arrived from Nigeria on Nov. 30, 2021 via Oman Air with flight number WY 843. A sample was collected on Dec. 6, 2021, and the result released on Dec. 7, 2021. Hewas then admitted to an isolation facility on the same date. His current status is also asymptomatic.
The Department of Health (DOH) said it is determining possible close contacts among co-passengers during the flights of these two cases.
Travelers who have arrived in the Philippines through these flights may call the DOH COVID-19 Hotlines at (02) 8942 6843 or 1555, or their respective local government units to report their status.
Among the samples sequenced on Dec. 14, 33 were of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center and the UP-National Institutes of Health said.
Fourteen of these were returning overseas Filipinos, while 19 were local cases from Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Caraga, SOCCSKSARGEN, Western Visayas, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Eastern Visayas and the Davao Region.
This update brings the total number of confirmed Delta variant cases in the country to 7,919.
The DOH said it is closely working with local government units for them to conduct active case finding and ensure that COVID-19 cases are immediately isolated, tested and contact traced, and that eligible samples for sequencing are submitted.
“With the detection of the imported cases of Omicron variant, the department also urges everyone to adhere to the minimum public standards and properly wear face masks, frequently wash hands with soap and water or alcohol, observe physical distancing, ensure proper ventilation, and avoid crowded areas,” the DOH said.
“Moreover, this holiday season, the public should avoid holding mass gatherings to curb the transmission of COVID-19. The DOH also urges those unvaccinated to get vaccinated during the National Vaccination Days to receive the additional protection that vaccines provide against COVID-19,” the department said.
The Palace said the government would closely monitor the developments of the two imported cases of the Omicron variant.
“This early detection forms part of our Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (PDITR) strategy that has been in place all throughout the pandemic,” said Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles.
The Palace official reminded the public not to let their guard down, to religiously observe minimum public health standards, and call upon all those unvaccinated to get their jabs as soon as possible.
Nograles reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated, especially with the threat of a new and more contagious variant.
He also assured the public that all COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
UP-NIH infectious diseases consultant Dr. Edsel Salvana said that given the detection of the Omicron variant, people should consider wearing a face shield as an extra layer of protection.
“Even if it is voluntary, I strongly recommend wearing a face shield as an extra layer of protection especially indoors and in crowded settings,” Salvana said. “Omicron is projected to be more contagious than Delta, so every bit helps.”
He added that vaccines continue to prevent severe disease, so everyone should get fully vaccinated.
Salvana also reminded the public to avoid high-risk situations like mass gatherings, and wear either a double cloth mask, or a medical grade mask.
“Our protocols work when everyone follows them. In the meantime, we vaccinate as many people as we can, and stick to our public health standards.”
Salvana added that the detection of the two Omicron cases indicated that surveillance and border control are working.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Omicron coronavirus variant is spreading at a rate not seen before, and there is a concern that people are dismissing it as mild.
“Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” Tedros said.
He said the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet.
In the Senate, presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson said contact tracing is key to preventing the spread of the Omicron variant.
“The two have been here for quite a while. I hope all their co-passengers are all accounted for and [are] closely monitored,” he said.
Senator Joel Villanueva said it was good that the DOH was able to trace the two cases.
“I won’t recommend raising the alert level yet. I would just remind everyone that the pandemic is not yet over. Omicron is here,” he said.
Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of
Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) had approved the recommendation to keep all areas of the Philippines under Alert Level 2 from Dec.16 to 31.
Meanwhile, the director of the DOH Health Epidemiology Bureau, Dr. Althea de Guzman, said the Philippines could experience higher peaks in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.
The independent OCTA Research Group concurred, saying the variant would likely cause a serious surge in new cases if it enters the Philippines.