KINUMPIRMA ng Department of Health (DOH) na kasalukuyan nang naka-quarantine sa Negros Occidental ang tatlong biyahero mula sa South Africa, kung saan unang nadiskubre ang pinangangambahang Omicron variant ng COVID-19.
Ayon kay DOH spokesperson at Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, base sa kanilang mga natanggap na ulat, ang mga naturang biyahero ay pawang fully-vaccinated naman at hindi nakikitaan ng anumang sintomas ng COVID-19.
“They (biyahero) were immediately isolated once it was reported that they were from South Africa. Based on reports, the three are fully vaccinated, they do not have any signs and symptoms, they were just isolated for that purpose because they were from South Africa,” pahayag pa ni Vergere sa isang panayam sa telebisyon.
Sinabi ni Vergeire na ang mga biyahero ay na-clear ng Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) nang dumating ang mga ito sa bansa noong nakaraang linggo, kung kailan ang South Africa ay kabilang pa sa “green list” o yaong itinuturing na low-risk countries.
Sa ngayon ay inaantabayanan pa ang resulta ng RT-PCR test ng mga biyahero habang minu-monitor rin ang kalagayan ng mga ito.
“No results yet from the RT-PCR. We are still waiting and monitoring. We are trying to coordinate also with the Bureau of Quarantine and accordingly, BOQ already said that when they released the three individuals, they were cleared by the BOQ, so extra measures are being done in Negros [Occidental] wherein they were again isolated by the local government,” pahayag ni Vergeire.
Matatandaang dahil sa banta ng Omicron variant ng COVID-19, ay una nang nagpatupad ang pamahalaan ng temporary suspension ng mga in-bound flights mula sa South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, at Italy mula Nobyembre 28 hanggang Disyembre 15.