(Eagle News) — Health authorities confirmed the United Kingdom COVID-19 virus variant has been detected in 16 other COVID-19 cases in the country.
A statement from the Department of Health on Friday night said this was also confirmed by the Philippine Genome Center and the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health.
The statement said of the 16 additional cases, 12 were from Bontoc, Mountain Province, two were returning overseas Filipinos, while two were detected in La Trinidad, Benguet and in Calamba, Laguna.
Of the 12 cases from Bontoc, seven were male and five female, while three were aged below 18 and another three above 60.
“Contact tracing was immediately initiated to contain the spread of the infection. Investigation is also underway to identify these cases’ exposure and travel histories,” the DOH said.
Returning overseas Filipinos
Meanwhile, the two returning overseas Filipinos with the B.1.1.7 variant arrived on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 8661 on December 29, 2020 from Lebanon.
Lebanon is among over 30 countries subject to travel restrictions imposed by the Philippine government over reports of the UK and South African COVID-19 virus strains there.
According to the DOH, of these two cases, one was a 64-year-old female and another a 47-year-old Filipina.
The first case, the DOH said, had an indicated local address of Jaro, Iloilo City.
The DOH said this patient was isolated in San Juan, Metro Manila and discharged on January 9.
The second case, the DOH said, had an indicated local address of Binangonan, Rizal.
She was quarantined in New Clark City and discharged from isolation on January 13.
Cases in Benguet, Laguna
According to the DOH, the last two B.1.1.7 variant cases detected in La Trinidad, Benguet and in Calamba City, Laguna, had no known contact to any confirmed case or travel history from outside the country.
The DOH said of the two, one was currently admitted in a Benguet Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility, while the 23-year-old male in Laguna has been discharged after receiving a negative result on January 16.
“Of the additional 16 cases with B.1.1.7 variant detected, 3 have already recovered, 13 are active cases—3 of which are asymptomatic and 10 are exhibiting mild symptoms,” the DOH said.
It said biosurveillance was in place, and “we will continue to expand our capacities to detect all COVID variants of public health importance.”
“The DOH calls on local government units to ensure strict monitoring and compliance to quarantine protocols in their respective localities. The DOH also reiterates that non-adherence and incorrect adherence to minimum public health standards (MPHS) are the drivers of transmission and mutation and therefore strongly urges the public to strictly and properly follow the MPHS in all settings,” it added.
With the detection of B.1.1.7 in the 16 other cases, the number of COVID-19 cases with the UK variant rose to 17.
The country’s first UK COVID-19 variant case was a 29-year-old Quezon City resident who arrived from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 7.
On Friday, the Quezon City government said the patient had already tested negative but was still being monitored.