(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Jan. 25, urged children aged 10 to 14 to stay at home with the UK COVID-19 variant already in the country.
The President made the appeal days after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases decision to allow those aged 10 to 65 to leave their residences in modified general community quarantine areas.
Roque had said local government units in general community quarantine areas were also advised to follow suit.
But Paranaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, also the Metro Manila Council chair, said mayors were initially against the easing of age restrictions.
He said they would nonetheless consult health experts before making a recommendation during their meeting slated today.
“Pasensya na po kayo. Mine is just a precaution. Takot lang ako kasi itong bagong strain strikes the young children,” the President said, noting that the UK variant had already been detected in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Health authorities on Friday confirmed the UK COVID-19 variant had been detected in 16 other COVID-19 cases in the country, 12 of which were from Bontoc, Mt. Province.
With the additional 16 UK variant cases, the total number of UK variant cases in the Philippines rose to 17, including the Quezon City resident who tested positive for the strain upon arrival from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
On Monday, the Department of Health announced that 34 of the close contacts of those 12 UK variant cases in Bontoc had tested positive for COVID-19.
“Napilitan akong i-reimpose ‘yung [restrictions on] 10 to 14. Not at this time. It’s a sacrifice for the parents and for the children,” the President said.