3 travelers in Philippines from South Africa, Burkina Faso, Egypt positive for COVID-19

Three travelers who arrived in the Philippines from South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Egypt have tested positive for COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Friday amid the threat of the Omicron variant.

At a media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 253 travelers from South Africa, three from Burkina Faso, and 541 from Egypt arrived in the country from November 15 to November 29.

“Each of these countries nagkaroon ng travelers who tested positive for COVID-19. Merong isa out of 253 from South Africa, isa out of 541 from Egypt, at isa out of three from Burkina Faso,” Vergeire said.

(Each of these countries had a traveler who tested positive for COVID-19. One out of the 253 from South Africa, one out of the 541 from Egypt, and one of the three from Burkin Faso.)

“So lahat po ng nag positive na ‘yan as long as CT values are appropriate, ipapadal po natin sa Philippine Genome Center for whole-genome sequencing,” she added.

(So all of these as long as their CT values are appropriate, we will send them to the Philippine Genome Center for whole-genome sequencing.)

In a message to reporters, Vergeire said the positive case from South Africa was a 23-year-old overseas Filipino worker who arrived in the country on November 16.

“We are verifying info and isolation status. Sample received at PGC yesterday and will be included in next sequencing run,” Vergeire added.

The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and has since been designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.

This prompted the Philippines to update its red list of countries from where travelers are temporarily banned amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those on the red list include South Africa and 13 other countries namely Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique.

Vergeire said both Burkina Faso and Egypt are included in the country’s yellow list.

“Yellow country for both, no detection of Omicron Variant as well,” she said.

Vergeire on Friday said the DOH was still processing the batch that will be subject to genome sequencing for the week.

“Results might be tonight or tomorrow,” she said. -NB, GMA News