BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The executive director of the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF), yesterday said they are monitoring persons who have come into close contact with a returning Filipino overseas worker from Bacolod City hit by B.1.1.318 variant of COVID-19.
Em Ang, who is also the coordinator of the COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC), said that based on their initial report, the ROF has already left for abroad (UAE).
They took up the matter after receiving the report Monday. They are just waiting for the report of their contact tracing team to get more details on the 34-year-old female hit by the B.1.1.318 variant from Brgy, Alijis, she said.
The patient, who recovered from B.1.1.318 variant while in quarantine in Metro Manila after testing positive on March 10, was asymptomatic.
Ang said the B.1.1.318 variant, which is a mutation of the Delta and Beta variants, is still a variant for monitoring and investigation. It is not yet a variant of concern.
There is nothing to worry about. But like the rest of the country, they continue to monitor since this is a variant for monitoring and investigation. If there are other cases found later on at least they are one step ahead, she said.
The study and investigation of this particular variant has not yet been completed that is why they cannot be provided specific characteristics, Ang said.
However, the Department of Health provides local governments recommendations and guidelines on what to do, she said.
But in the meantime, they are conducting contact-tracing although they have heard that the patient has already recovered and has returned to her work abroad. But they will still continue to monitor persons she had come into close contact with for preventive measures, Ang added.*
