Stricter border controls needed to keep out Lambda variant — Duque
MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the country’s health department called for stricter border controls to prevent the spread of the Lambda variant of the coronavirus.
Local health authorities have yet to detect the presence of the Lambda variant, which is classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday.
“That’s why we need to monitor this because it might become a variant of concern. What are we going to do? We will continue implementing strict border control to ensure the variant will not enter the country through returning overseas Filipinos or overseas Filipino workers,” he said in a briefing.
Current border controls have been so far effective, Duque claimed as only 19 cases of the highly infectious Delta variant have been detected.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said there is no direct flights to and from the Philippines and Latin America. The Lambda variant was first detected in Peru in December 2020.
But he said Malacañang will “monitor the developments and we will act accordingly.”
‘Not enough evidence’
The Lambda variant is feared to be more transmissible than other forms of COVID-19. But Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, World Health Organization representative to the Philippines, said there is still not enough information to make that conclusion.
“Lambda at this point of time still remains a variant of interest. That doesn’t mean we’re not following it. We’re still studying it and it does not warrant classification as a variant of concern at this point of time,” Abeyasinghe said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart.
A variant of concern is defined as one with increase in transmissibility, increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation, and decrease in effectiveness of public health measures or available diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.
The Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma variants present in the Philippines are classified as variants of concern.
Duque also said there is no evidence yet that the Lambda variant reduces protection offered by vaccines.
“All of our vaccines are effective thus far,” he said.
A thread on new variants of SARS-CoV-2 reported in the Philippines.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) rallies all local government units (LGUs) "to be more vigilant and reinforce measures against COVID-19 to impede the projected increase in cases until the end of the year."
DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos says: “Kami po ay nananawagan sa ating LGUs na bantayang mabuti ang mga kaso ng COVID sa kanilang nasasakupan. We are still in a pandemic and we count on our local officials to lead this war, especially in the coming months where alarming numbers of COVID-19 cases are projected.
He calls on LGUs "to fortify their measures against COVID-19, following the DOH’s recent projection of increase in COVID-19 cases in NCR by October, which can even extend to other parts of the country until the end of the year."
The Department of Health announces the detection of 12 new local cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, bringing the total to 47. Six from Central Luzon, three from Metro Manila, two from Calabarzon and one from Bicol Region.
All Delta cases have been tagged as recovered, but their outcomes are being validated by our regional and local health offices. — Christian Deiparine
The Department of Health says it has confirmed 16 cases of the Delta variant in the Philippines. Of those case, 11 are considered local transmissions.
Another nine UK variant cases of COVID19 were detected in Kalinga prompting the Kalinga Provincial Health Office to reiterate to the public to maintain vigilance and strictly compliance to health protocols.
According to the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the Center for Health Development Cordillera, the newly identified cases were from the five towns, one each from Rizal, Pasil, Tanudan and Lubuagan. Four cases meanwhile were detected in Kalinga's capital, Tabuk City.
Kalinga has logged a total of 19 UK variant cases since it got into the country last January 2021. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao
The Department of Health announces new cases of the following variants detected in the Philippines:
- 1 B.1.617.2 (Indian) variant,
- 104 B.1.1.7 (UK) variant
- 137 B.1.351 (South Africa) variant,
- 4 P.3 variant
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