by Raadee Sausa January 26, 2021 The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the presence of the United Kingdom (UK) COVID-19 variant in the co...
January 26, 2021
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the presence of the United Kingdom (UK) COVID-19 variant in the country on January 13.
After samples from a Filipino who arrived from the United Arab Emirates on January 7 yielded positive genome sequencing results, the Health department said the case involves a 29-year-old male resident of Kamuning, Quezon City, who departed for Dubai on December 27 for business purposes and came back to the Philippines on January 7 via Emirates Flight No. EK 332.
During his trip, the case was also accompanied by his female partner, who tested negative for COVID-19 upon arrival. The female is currently under strict quarantine and monitoring, DOH added.
"Both of the returning Filipinos had no exposure to a confirmed case prior to their departure to Dubai nor had any travel activities outside Quezon City," the DOH said.
"Immediate contact tracing was done in close coordination with the QC government, and the initially identified contacts are asymptomatic and currently under strict home quarantine," it added.
In a taped cabinet meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte aired on Wednesday night, Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the case, who is a real estate agent, visited malls, groceries, and tourist sites in Dubai together with his partner.
Contact tracing underway
The DOH said that it has secured the flight manifest of the flight in question, and contact tracing of other passengers is now underway.
It advised those who were aboard the flight to get in touch with their respective barangay health response teams.
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