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Doctor pushes for quarantine for Hong Kong travelers even after negative RT-PCR


The Philippines should re-impose the 14-day quarantine period for travelers from Hong Kong even after testing negative for COVID-19 amid the threat of the Omicron variant, a health expert proposed Monday.

Philippine Foundation for Vaccination director Dr. Lulu Bravo issued the remark when asked if the Philippines should impose travel restrictions over the country.

“Kung dati ay 10 araw na lang ‘yung quarantine, maaaring extend pa ‘yan hanggang 14 days (If the previous was 10 days, we can extend that to 14 days),” Bravo said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

“And definitely, ‘yung pagte-test nung RT-PCR ay dapat medyo tagalan pa. Dati kasi third day puwede ka na mag RT-PCR. If negative, puwede ka na makalampas ng quarantine after two to three days,” she added.

(And definitely, the RT-PCR testing should be done a few days into quarantine. Because before, by the third day you can get tested, and if you have negative results you can skip quarantine.)

Hong Kong remains on the country’s yellow list amid calls from the Department of Health and other experts to impose travel restrictions on the Chinese territory.

Under the yellow list, travelers are required to undergo facility-based quarantine, but they may be allowed to be discharged from the facility once they test negative for COVID-19.

Bravo said travelers who also provide a negative RT-PCR within three days upon arrival in the country should still undergo quarantine.

“Ngayon ang sabi nila, maski negative ‘yung RT-PCR mo within three days before your arrival ay magkwa-quarantine ka pa rin lalo na kung galing ka sa mga countries na nakitaan na ng Omicron,” she said.

(Now, they are saying that travelers from countries that have detected Omicron should still undergo quarantine even if they have negative RT-PCR tests within three days before their arrival.)

Meanwhile, Bravo said initial observations show that though Omicron does not cause severe diseases.

“Maski na mabilis siyang nag aadapt, mabilis siya maikalat, hindi siya ganoon ka serious ang nakita doon. ‘Yung mga South African nag-report sila,” she said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it is not yet clear if the new variant is more transmissible compared to others or if it causes more severe cases.

WHO has declared the Omicron variant as a variant of concern, a day after it was first reported.

Currently, the Philippines has placed 14 countries on the red list, barring entry to travelers from Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique until December 15. — RSJ, GMA News

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