World News | Philippines Confirms First 2 Omicron Cases
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The Philippines has recorded its first two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in two travelers from Nigeria and Japan respectively, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday.
Manila [Philippines], December 15 (ANI/Xinhua): The Philippines has recorded its first two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in two travelers from Nigeria and Japan respectively, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday.
The DOH said that the Nigerian national arrived in Manila on Nov. 30 via an Oman Air flight, while the returning overseas Filipino arrived on Dec. 1 via Philippine Airlines from Japan.
Also Read | Omicron to Be Dominant COVID-19 Variant by Mid-January, Says EU Official.
The two Omicron-positive individuals are now isolated in a facility managed by the Bureau of Quarantine. The Filipino had symptoms of colds and cough upon arrival, the DOH said.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters that one traveler was fully vaccinated while the other was not.
Also Read | Omicron Variant of COVID-19 Spreading at Unprecedented Rate, Says WHO.
The DOH is determining possible close contacts among co-passengers during the flights of these two cases.
"The DOH is verifying the test results and health status of all passengers of these flights to determine if there are other confirmed cases or passengers who became symptomatic after arrival," the DOH added.
The DOH said the two cases of the Omicron variant were detected from the 48 samples sequenced on Tuesday.
With the detection of the Omicron variant, the DOH urged people to adhere to the minimum public standards and properly wear face masks, frequently wash hands, observe physical distancing, ensure proper ventilation, and avoid crowded areas.
"Moreover, this holiday season, the public should avoid holding mass gatherings to curb the transmission of COVID-19," the DOH advisory said. It also urged unvaccinated people to get their COVID-19 shots.
The Philippines now has over 2.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 50,351 deaths. (ANI/Xinhua)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)