GMA News
Sulu, hindi muna tatanggap ng mga uuwi mula sa Sabah dahil sa bagong COVID variant
The Provincial Government of Sulu has requested assistance from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) due to the detection of a new COVID-19 variant in nearby Sabah, Malaysia.
Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan stated that Sabah is only about 29 hours away by boat from the Sulu Archipelago, highlighting the proximity.
Following a meeting, Governor Tan announced that the province will temporarily halt entries from Sabah to prevent the spread of the new variant.
Malaysia's Health Ministry has identified the new mutation as 'A701B', though its infectiousness compared to the original strain remains uncertain.
President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged Sulu's porous coastline and the challenges in implementing safeguards against potential entry points from Sabah.
The IATF-EID has responded to Governor Tan's request and is assisting Sulu in its precautionary measures.
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Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan requested the national government's assistance, particularly from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), to help negotiate with the Malaysian government for the suspension of Filipino repatriates from Sabah.
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President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology to form a new task force composed of health experts to address the new COVID-19 variant.
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