DOH expanding contact tracing efforts in CAR as 615 contacts identified
(Eagle News) — The Department of Health said that it has traced “three major clusters of infections” in Bontoc province which all have the so-called UK variant, B.1.1.7.
This was discovered by the DOH as it was trying to trace the source of the UK variant of the COVID-19 virus in Bontoc where at least 12 UK variant cases have been already detected by the Philippine Genome Center.
“Iyon pong mga specimens galing sa Bontoc Province were analyzed by the Philippine Genome Center at iisang klaseng variant lang po ang lumabas diyan – iyong B.1.1.7 which is the UK variant,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“Dito po noong nag-contact tracing tayo, nakakita po tayo ng tatlong major clusters of infections. Ibig sabihin, nai-link na po namin iyong bawat impeksiyon sa bawat komunidad o sa bawat magkakapitbahay that’s why we say there are three clusters of infection. But these are just all initial kasi po patuloy pa rin ang ating pagku-contact tracing,” she explained in a Laging Handa press briefing.
So far, the DOH is still investigating the source of the UK variant that was detected in Bontoc.
It did not come from the overseas Filipino worker who came from the United Kingdom since he had tested negative for this variant.
This means that there was another source for the UK variant cases that were detected in local transmissions in Bontoc.
“And tama po kayo, Secretary, na puwedeng mayroon pa rin ho tayo ibang source of this variant cases dito sa Bontoc Province kasi alam naman po ng lahat nailagay natin sa ating mga impormasyon na nag-negative po iyong ating kababayan na umuwi from United Kingdom dito sa variant na ito noong tinest ang kaniyang specimen,” Vergeire said.
Because of this, Vergeire said that they are “still trying to expand and back trace on the different contacts” to see the source of the UK variant in Bontoc.
So far, she said that they have identified contacts in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). These are “first, second and third generation contacts.”
-8 returning OFWs identified-
Eight returning OFWs who entered CAR were also identified The DOH is still checking the RT-PCR tests of these OFWs.
“As to contact tracing, ang atin pong teams diyan sa Cordillera Administrative Region was able to do the contact tracing na among 615 contacts na nakita na po nila – first, second and third generation contacts. Also nakapagkausap na rin po sila, they have reviewed ito pong triaging system ng CAR at nakakita na rin po sila ng walo na mga OFWs or returning OFs na bumalik din po sa bansa at pumasok dito sa lugar na ito. Atin pong kukunin pa iyong further details nito and what were the RT-PCR results of these people so that we can identify kung sino pa ho ang puwede nating makuhang detalye ‘no, kung saan galing ang impeksiyon na ito,” Vergeire explained.
The DOH also noted the rise in utilization rate of COVID-19 beds in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Vergeire said that the CAR utilization rate is already on “moderate risk” level.
(Eagle News Service)