(Eagle News) — Fourteen individuals who were contacts of the Quezon City resident who tested positive for the UK COVID-19 virus variant upon arrival in the Philippines have so far tested positive for COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said on Friday, Jan. 22.
According to Vergeire, of the 14, eight were Emirates flight passengers who tested positive upon arrival in the Philippines on Jan. 7.
Four–including the index case’s girlfriend–were also the index case’s co-passengers on board that flight EK332 but initially tested negative upon arrival.
One, Vergeire said, was a household member, while another was a healthcare worker.
Earlier, the Department of Health said the index case’s mother also tested positive for COVID-19.
The DOH said all their samples have been sent to the Philippine Genome Center for analysis.
On Friday, the Quezon City government said the UK COVID-19 variant index case–a 29-year-old male– already tested negative for the virus.
But Vergeire said “a thorough assessment still has to be done, such as chest X-ray, because he was diagnosed with pneumonia at the start.”
“Protocol is the same, but it has to be ensured that he will still be monitored by the LGU,” she said.
The DOH said it has sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to locate two co-passengers of the index patient who have not yet been located.
The two are the only ones of the overall 213 identified contacts of the index patient who have not yet been found. With a report from Madz Moratillo