MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) assured that the UK variant of the SARS-COV-2 virus has not yet been detected in the country.
This is amid reports that one of the passengers of a flight from Manila to Hong Kong tested positive for the said variant.
Based on the report of the Health Department and the Philippine Genome Center (PCG) on Wednesday (January 6), the UK variant has not been detected in any of the 305 positive samples submitted to them from nine institutions.
“The 305 samples analysed by PGC were composed of positive samples from November-December hospital admissions and from inbound travellers who tested positive upon arrival at the airport,” the DOH said.
The department also said it is in close coordination with Hong Kong’s International Health Regulations for further information about the Manila passenger. They also recommended expanding the country’s travel ban.
Initial information states that the variant was found in a 30-year-old female Hong Kong resident who returned from Manila on December 22.
Hong Kong has four confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 strain. Two cases from London, one from France, and the one from Manila. AAC
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