Kinumpirma ng Department of Health (DOH) na mayroon pang 16 na bagong pasyente ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ang infected ng United Kingdom (UK) variant.

Sa isang pahayag nitong Biyernes ng gabi, sinabi ng DOH na sa kabuuan, nasa 17 pasyente na ang positibo sa B117 variant ng COVID-19.

Kabilang dito ang 12 pasyente na tinukoy ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Bontoc, Mountain Province, gayunman, hindi pa malinaw kung paano nakarating sa naturang bayan ang bagong variant ng virus.

“Following strengthened biosurveillance activities amid the detection of the first B117 variant in the country last January 13, the Department of Health (DOH), UP-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the UP-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) today confirmed the detection of the B117 variant in 16 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 17,” anang DOH.

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Agusan del Sur, nilindol ng magnitude 5.3

Sa naturang 12 kaso, pito ang lalaki at lima ang babae. Tatlo ang nasa 18-taong gulang habang tatlo pa ang mahigit 60 taon.

Anang DOH, nagsasagawa na sila ng contact tracing upang matukoy ang exposure at travel history ng mga ito.

Mayroon ding dalawa pang pasyente na overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) na bumalik sa bansa mula sa Lebanon noong Disyembre 29.

“Meanwhile, two other patients with the B117 variant are returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) who arrived on December 29, 2020 from Lebanon, a country included in the travel restrictions due to the detection of the B117 variant in said country.

The cases were aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 8661. The first case is a 64-year old female whose indicated local address is Jaro, Iloilo City. The patient was isolated in San Juan, Metro Manila and discharged on January 9. The other is a 47-year old Filipina whose reported local address is Binangonan, Rizal and was quarantined in New Clark City and discharged from isolation on January 13,” ayon sa DOH.

Matatandaang isang negosyante na bumiyahe sa UAE ang unang nagpositibo ng UK variant pagbalik sa Pilipinas.

Hanggang nitong Miyerkoles, 13 na ang close contacts nito ang nahawa rin ng virus.

Tiniyak naman ng DOH na ipagpapatuloy nila ang pagpapalawak ng kanilang biosurveillance capabilities upang matukoy ang variant ng mas accurate at mas mabilis.