Published May 13, 2021, 11:47 PM
After the Philippines recorded its first cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant from India, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has confirmed that the Department of Health (DOH) has recommended the inclusion of two more countries in the list with travel restrictions.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III (FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Kung mapirmahan mamaya (If signed tonight), we’ll give another day para sa nakabiyahe na (for those who have traveled already), we’ll give them chance,” Duque said after the symbolic vaccination using Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines in Makati City on Thursday, May 13.
Duque was referring to travelers coming from Oman and United Arab Emirates which he recommended to be included in the list of countries with travel restrictions. “I-quarantine natin sinuman ang dumarating for strict border control (We will also quarantine those who are arriving to ensure strict border control),” he added.
Published May 14, 2021, 12:12 AM
SURVIVOR’S TALE
(The author is a Filipina married to an American. She worked for a Top 20 Fortune Oil Company as a Corporate Affairs Field Manager before taking an early retirement package in mid-2020. Before she left for the U.S. in 2006, Marian was the corporate communications head of a major oil company operating in the Philippines. The Kings will be shuttling between the US and the Philippines once possible.)
• Marian’s husband Tony felt the symptoms on April 10; the next day, both were feeling ill.
• An RT-PCR test showed that both were positive for COVID-19.
• A teleconsult doctor advised them to go to a hospital because of their age and comorbidities.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo
(FILE PHOTO / Manila Bulletin)
Director-General Rolando Enrique Domingo, during President Duterte’s “Talk to the People” on Thursday night, May 13, gave an update on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines – particularly on those that can be used to inoculate the Filipinos in the future.
“Possible na vaccine na makakuha ng EUA is Sinopharm (It’s possible for Sinopharm to get EUA),” Domingo said, noting that the officials of the Department of Health (DOH) – which applied for the EUA for the vaccine brand – have already met with representatives of Sinopharm.
The DOH, under the orders of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, filed an EUA for Sinopharm. This is to ensure that the country does not have to return a batch of the brand donated by China.
Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“Ang patuloy na paalaa ay magpalista sa kanilang mga local government units para mapaghandaan ang kanilang pagbabakuna (Our constant reminder is for the public to register with their local government units to prepare for their vaccination),” Duque said during President Duterte’s “Talk to the People” on Thursday night, May 13.
Duque, during the symbolic vaccination event in Makati City early Thursday, said that continued vigilance is crucial especially with the detection of new coronavirus variants in the country.
Currently, he noted that the South African variant is the most common variant in the country based on the latest round of genome sequencing.