QC tracing 10 residents on flight taken by Filipino with Covid-19 variant
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City is tracing 10 residents who shared the same flight as the Filipino patient who was detected as the first case of the UK coronavirus variant in the Philippines, an official said Thursday.
Dr. Rolly Cruz, head of the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Cesu), said they received the flight manifest late Wednesday, which showed that 10 Quezon City residents were on the same flight as the infected patient.
“Late last night na-receive na natin yung manifesto wherein 10 Quezon City residents are included do’n sa manifesto so we are undergoing contact tracing right now dun sa 10 na yo’n,” Cruz said in a press briefing.
(We received already late last night the manifest which showed that 10 Quezon City residents were included so we are undergoing contact tracing right now.)
On Wednesday, the Department of Health said the Philippine Genome Center reported the detection of the new variant, known as B117, after samples from a Filipino who arrived from the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 7 yielded positive genome sequencing results.
The patient with the UK variant is a male resident of Quezon City who departed for Dubai on Dec. 27 for business purposes and returned to the Philippines last Jan. 7 via Emirates Flight No. EK 332.
Mayor Joy Belmonte, however, said Quezon City residents need not be alarmed and explained that the patient tested negative for the coronavirus prior to his flight from the Philippines to Dubai.
“Technically dapat naka-quarantine pa sila kasi nung [Jan.] 7 lang naman yung dating nila dito. So inaalam natin kung nasan sila ngayon,” Cruz said.
(Technically they should still be in quarantine since they just arrived last Jan. 7. We are determining where they are.)
“Aalagaan natin sila kung gusto nilang magpalipat sa ating mag quarantine facility, ililipat natin sila dito kung nasa labas sila ng Quezon City,” he added.
(We will take care of them and if they want to be transferred to our facility, then we will transfer them if ever they are outside Quezon City now.)
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