Saturday, May 28, 2022
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home News Top Stories

‘Killjoy’ advice: Avoid Christmas parties as new strain lurks

Willie CasasbyWillie Casas
December 2, 2021, 1:50 am
in Top Stories
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
76
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

An infectious disease expert on Wednesday cautioned the public against attending parties and gatherings over the holidays as information about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 remains scarce.

The warning from Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital, came as private hospitals braced for a possible spike in cases due to the new variant.

"We need more information about the Omicron variant of concern…When we do activities that increase our risk of getting the infection… we have to be careful. We have to follow health protocols,” Solante said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

“You may say I’m a killjoy, but please don’t engage in unwanted gatherings,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

First detected in South Africa, the Omicron variant was found to have 32 mutations from the original virus, and has since been detected in several countries across Africa, Europe in Australia and in Hong Kong.

ADVERTISEMENT

Preliminary studies said the mutations were concerning because they might mean the variant could evade the body's immune response and make it more transmissible.

Although there are no reports of this new variant in the Philippines as yet, Solante said it was better to be cautious than face another surge of infections after the holidays, which would be a burden on already strained health workers.

“We might be surprised in January by a surge. That’s something that we don’t like to happen, especially us health care workers. We’re really tired and if we have a surge again, I don’t know what will happen to us,” he said.

Private hospitals, meanwhile, were bracing for a possible spike in infections.

Dr. Jose Rene De Grano, president of Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc, said there are now ample supplies of oxygen and vacant beds amid a drop in COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Private hospitals are prepared in case there will be a surge or new cases of COVID,” De Grano told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.

South Africa reported the Omicron variant to the World Health Organization on Nov. 24.

While much is still unknown about the new variant, the agency believes its high number of mutations may make it more transmissible or resistant to vaccines.

A number of countries, including the Philippines, have closed their borders to prevent the spread of the variant.

As of Nov. 29, some 8,153 out of 28,482 hospital beds are occupied, data from the Department of Health showed.

Some 1,116 out of 1,291 health facilities are considered at the "safe" level, which means less than 60 percent of their capacity is occupied. Only 30 facilities were tagged as "critical,” or more than 85 percent occupied.

De Grano said there were still more than 7,000 COVID-19 patients being treated in private hospitals despite the decline in cases.

As the Omicron variant has spread to some parts of the world, he said, most of the country, including Metro Manila, should remain under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 until the year’s end.

Metro Manila and many other provinces are under looser quarantine restrictions until Dec. 15.

“I think we should not downgrade to Alert Level 1 right now,” he said.

The country on Tuesday reported 425 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily tally so far this year.

The threat of the new variant is reason enough for more people to get vaccinated, the presidential adviser for entrepreneurship, Joey Concepcion, said.

“With variants continuing to emerge, I believe it is time we aim for close to 100 percent vaccination in the country,” Concepcion said. “Omicron has only made vaccine mandates urgent and justifiable. The country’s economy is at stake.”

Concepcion said he supported the government’s decision to make COVID tests mandatory for on-site workers, and said he also supports mandatory vaccinations. He said in the long run, vaccines would make better sense for on-site workers.

“If a worker refuses to take the vaccine, he would spend upwards of P60,000 a year getting tested every other week,” he said.

Meanwhile, an opposition leader at the House of Representatives called for free mass testing of the population for COVID-19.

Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said that with new variants like Omicron "wreaking havoc worldwide, free mass testing would still be the key in fighting and containing this modern health scourge."

"Of course, free mass testing should also go hand in hand with fast and serious contact tracing to effectively contain this new variant. These should all be funded by the government, not just the vaccinations," Zarate said.

The Philippines logged 500 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,833,038.

There were 167 new fatalities reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 48,712.

The Department of Health also reported 951 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,768,999.

There were 15,327 active cases, of which 756 were asymptomatic; 7,183 were mild; 3,832 were moderate; 2,489 were severe; and 1,067 were critical.

The COVID-19 positivity rate was at 2.1 percent based on 30,841 tests conducted on Nov. 29. This is well within the World Health Organization’s target of below 5 percent.

Nationwide, 27 percent of ICU beds, 26 percent of isolation beds, 15 percent of ward beds, and 15 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 28 percent of ICU beds, 22 percent of isolation beds, 20 percent of ward beds, and 16 percent of ventilators, were in use.

Despite the dire warnings about the Omicron variant, the independent OCTA Research Group said the country could see daily cases fall to under 500 by Christmas.

Guido David of the OCTA Research Group, said most parts of the country could shift to Alert Level 1, the loosest of the current quarantine restrictions, if there was no threat of the new variant.

Maricel Cruz

Tags: COVID-19Omicron variantRontgene SolanteSouth Africa
ADVERTISEMENT
Willie Casas

Willie Casas

Related Posts

WHO may end COVID crisis

byVito Barceloand2 others
May 28, 2022, 1:40 am
0
169
WHO says over 100 attacks confirmed on healthcare in Ukraine

But says dropping its emergency status doesn't mean pandemic is over The World Health Organization (WHO) is working to declare...

Read more

SC upholds graft conviction of whistleblower Jun Lozada

byRey E. Requejo
May 28, 2022, 1:30 am
0
191
SC affirms sentence on Polish over shabu

The whistleblower in the ZTE corruption scandal during the Arroyo administration, Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, is heading for prison after the...

Read more

China sets SCS drills amid regional tensions

byAFP
May 28, 2022, 1:20 am
0
147
Vax wastage, infection surge feared in Odette-hit areas

China will hold naval exercises in the South China Sea on Saturday despite warnings from the West against raising tensions...

Read more

Palace: No legal hurdle for Rody to be drug czar

byVito Barcelo
May 28, 2022, 1:10 am
0
159
DOLE 9 joins Duterte Legacy: Barangayanihan Caravan in Dipolog City

Malacañang said it is up to outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte whether to accept the invitation of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos...

Read more

Diokno not worried over big national debt

byMacon Ramos-Araneta
May 28, 2022, 1:00 am
0
150
External debt still at prudent level

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno, nominated by President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as his administration’s finance secretary, said...

Read more

Central Bank orders removal of e-sabong from online apps

byJulito G. Rada
May 28, 2022, 12:50 am
0
152
Sermonia poised to replace Carlos as new PNP chief

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has ordered its supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) to remove all electronic sabong or e-sabong operators...

Read more

Stories you may like

  • Ex-Naga dad links Leni’s brother-in-law to illegal drugs

    Ex-Naga dad links Leni’s brother-in-law to illegal drugs

    36092 shares
    Share 14437 Tweet 9023
  • Of course, it was BBM’s project

    30444 shares
    Share 12178 Tweet 7611
  • INC endorses BBM, Sara

    28701 shares
    Share 11480 Tweet 7175
  • Duterte’s seven biggest achievements

    19435 shares
    Share 7774 Tweet 4859
  • Marcos leads SWS survey on presidentiables at 50%

    13549 shares
    Share 5420 Tweet 3387

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • JACKSTONES, INC.: Notice of 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting
  • Sneakers for Makati : AB4.0
  • WHO may end COVID crisis
  • SC upholds graft conviction of whistleblower Jun Lozada
  • China sets SCS drills amid regional tensions
  • Palace: No legal hurdle for Rody to be drug czar
  • Diokno not worried over big national debt
  • Central Bank orders removal of e-sabong from online apps

Advertisement

Latest News

Palace: No legal hurdle for Rody to be drug czar

byVito Barcelo
May 28, 2022, 1:10 am
0
159
DOLE 9 joins Duterte Legacy: Barangayanihan Caravan in Dipolog City

Malacañang said it is up to outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte whether to accept the invitation of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos...

Read more

Diokno not worried over big national debt

byMacon Ramos-Araneta
May 28, 2022, 1:00 am
0
150
External debt still at prudent level

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno, nominated by President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as his administration’s finance secretary, said...

Read more

Central Bank orders removal of e-sabong from online apps

byJulito G. Rada
May 28, 2022, 12:50 am
0
152
Sermonia poised to replace Carlos as new PNP chief

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has ordered its supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) to remove all electronic sabong or e-sabong operators...

Read more

Government to borrow P250 million on last month of Duterte

byManila Standard
May 28, 2022, 12:40 am
0
147
Vax wastage, infection surge feared in Odette-hit areas

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) plans to raise P250 billion by offering government securities to local creditors to boost...

Read more

China thanks Rody for ‘contributions’

byRey E. Requejo
May 28, 2022, 12:30 am
0
161
Rody: I did my best to serve you, but sorry if you find that lacking

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian thanked outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte for his great contributions to strengthening China and...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App