DOH recommends lockdown extension in Bontoc as clustering of UK variant cases noted

At least 11 cases of B.1.17 variant came from 1 barangay in Bontoc

In the Laging Handa press briefing on Monday, Jan. 25, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire gives an update on the UK variant cases detected in the country, including their contact-tracing efforts related to the cases. (Eagle News Service)

 

(Eagle News) – The Department of Health is recommending the lockdown extension in Bontoc for another two weeks as majority of the recent COVID-19 cases found positive for the UK variant came from the province.

The DOH have monitored the clustering of cases in Bontoc province based on positive samples for the B.1.1.7 variant, or the highly infectious variant first detected in the United Kingdom.

“The lockdown in Bontoc is recommended that it be extended for another two weeks,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said following the identification of clustering in Bontoc.

Based on the analysis of positive swab samples submitted to the Philippine Genome Center Vergeire said that 12 of the 17 UK variant cases came from Bontoc province.

Two other UK variant cases came from other areas: one was in La Trinidad, Benguet, a 22-year old male whose specimen was collected on Jan. 7; while the other case was from Calamba,Laguna, a 23-year old male whose specimen was collected on Dec. 10 last year.

The DOH is still investigating if the La Trinidad case was linked to the Bontoc cases.




According to the DOH findings, there were seven males and five females in all who had tested positive for the UK variant in Bontoc. Three of them were below 18 years of age, while three others were over 60 years old.

Eleven of the cases from one barangay only, Bgy. Samoki, with the earliest case getting ill on Dec. 31.

Three remain admitted, while others have completed their isolation in Bontoc, Vergeire said.

There are 17 UK variant cases that have been detected so far in the country.

But Vergeire said that so far it was only in Bontoc that they noticed the most clustering of cases.

The DOH already identified 144 close contacts of the 12 UK variant positive cases from Bontoc.

So far, only 116 had been tested for COVID-19.

Of these 116, there were 74 who had tested negative, while 42 tested COVID-19 positive. Eight of these close contacts were confirmed to be positive for UK variant.  At least 34 other positive samples, initially tagged as non-UK variant cases, were sent to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) for genome sequencing.

A slide showing the contact tracing on the 12 UK variant (B.1.1.7) positive cases in Bontoc province. (Courtesy DOH)

“There is further investigation of cases to see if there are linkages among these cases.”

“But initially, we were able to identify three clusters of infection involving all of these contacts which turned out to be positive. And these three clusters had linkages with each other,” Vergeire said.

-Source of UK variant positive cases in Bontoc being verified-

The DOH official said that they are still verifying the source of the UK variant in Bontoc.

All they know is that there was an OFW who returned to Bontoc on Dec. 14 and had celebrations with his family and other members of the community on Dec. 25.

“And on the 26th He attended a ritual for their religious beliefs, with other members of the community as well. On December 29, he started feeling symptoms and in the succeeding days, all the other members who are close contacts experienced symptoms also,” Vergeire said.

So far, the DOH had identified 17 UK variant cases in the country. One was the Quezon City resident who had travelled to the United Arab Emirates. Two others were OFWs from Lebanon who had already been discharged on Jan 9 and 13 respectively after completing isolation.

The 14 others were COVID-19 swab samples from the country collected in December and January. Twelve were from Bontoc; one was from La Trinidad, Benguet; and another one was from Calamba, Laguna.

Contact-tracing is now ongoing for the La Trinidad and Calamba cases.

(Eagle News Service)