Manila Bulletin
DOH says better to keep PH under Alert Level 2 for now amid Omicron variant threat
The Philippines will not be deescalating to Alert Level 1 due to the emerging threat of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Duque stated that the country will remain under Alert Level 2 for the time being, emphasizing the need for continued monitoring.
He pointed to rising COVID-19 cases in European countries that have relaxed their minimum public health standards, such as mask mandates and social mobility restrictions.
The Health Secretary recalled that the Philippines successfully managed previous COVID-19 surges when minimum public health standards were strictly followed, even with limited vaccine supplies.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The OCTA research group warned of a potential serious surge in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines if the Omicron variant enters the country.
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The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) has not detected the Omicron variant in the Philippines from over 18,000 sequenced samples.
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The Department of Health (DOH) stated that the Philippines can only delay, not entirely prevent, the entry of the Omicron variant, similar to its approach with the Delta variant.
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The Department of Health (DOH) announced that no Omicron COVID-19 variant cases were detected in the latest whole genome sequencing of 48 samples.
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President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his prayers that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will not reach the Philippines.
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