(Eagle News) — The traveler from the Philippines who tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant in Hong Kong is an overseas Filipino worker.
According to Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire, the 30-year-old female who took the Philippine Airlines flight to Hong Kong on December 22 was a domestic helper.
Earlier, the DOH said she was from the Cagayan Valley and arrived on December 18 in Metro Manila.
On December 19, she took the RT-PCR test before taking the flight.
The results yielded negative results.
Days after her arrival in Hong Kong, on January 2, she underwent RT-PCR testing again.
This time, she tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant.
The DOH said the patient was in isolation and in stable condition.
The DOH has said as of January 2, no UK COVID-19 variant has been detected in the Philippines.
The Philippines has temporarily banned foreign travelers from 27 countries following reports of the more new variant, said to be up to 70 percent more infectious, there.
These countries are Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan, Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada and Spain.
