MANILA, Philippines — New COVID-19 cases may again spike as it is only a matter of time before new Omicron subvariants enter the country, according to a member of the OCTA Research group.
“So far, we don’t have any data that the new subvariants already entered [the country]. But I think it’s just a matter of time. Maybe it’s just in time for Christmas again, it may affect our holidays,” OCTA fellow Guido David said in a mix of Filipino and English during an interview with “The Chiefs” over Cignal TV’s One News on Friday night.
“I don’t know if we can really prevent it from entering. It’s so infectious already. It’s likely to just enter the country at some point and hopefully we still have time to warn the public… and be vigilant with health protocols again,” he added.
David noted how the new Omicron subvariants, particularly the XBB and BQ.1, are driving increases in new cases and hospitalizations in some countries.
He said the government and the general public must be prepared in case these subvariants enter the country. “What are we going to do? What’s the action plan for that?”
“With all these new subvariants that we’re seeing, people can get reinfected over and over again. That’s why maybe our cases do not go down to very low levels. They just reach baseline levels and we’re seeing up and down cases,” he added.
David also recommended procurement of bivalent vaccine boosters, which include a component of the original virus strain and a component of the Omicron variant, which has become the dominant variant of the virus worldwide.
OCTA earlier reported increases in positivity rates in some provinces, even as cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) started to decline.
The independent research group warned that cases in the NCR may again spike if new Omicron subvariants enter the country.