Philippines low risk for COVID-19 despite global uptick

The Philippines remains at low risk for COVID-19 despite an uptick in cases globally due to FliRT variants.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), there is no scientific basis for imposing travel restrictions based on increased case numbers, and daily reported coronavirus cases averaged 202 from May 14 to May 20, which is lower than earlier this year and last year's figures.

The DOH noted that only 12% of dedicated COVID-19 ICU beds and 14% of total COVID-19 beds are currently occupied, with hospital occupancy remaining low.

To further monitor the situation, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) has been placed under heightened alert to conduct thorough screening for travelers from countries with detected FliRT variants, while the University of the Philippines Philippine Genome Center and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine continue sequencing efforts.

The DOH emphasized that there is no evidence indicating that KP.2 and KP.3 variants cause severe or critical COVID-19 cases locally or internationally, and urged the public to observe minimum public health standards such as wearing masks, frequent handwashing, and practicing physical distancing.