MANILA, Philippines — Three of the close contacts of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) found to be a carrier of the Indian variant of COVID-19 have tested positive for the disease, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.
DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the 58-year-old OFW, returned to the Philippines from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has 32 verified close contacts.
“Tatlo sa Manila ay positive [sa COVID-19]. Pina-submit na natin sa genome sequencing ‘yung isang sample at ‘yung sa dalawa ay hinahanap pa natin—nilo-locate natin ‘yung mga specific individuals,” Vergeire said during the Laging Handa press briefing.
The 28 remaining close contacts tested negative for COVID-19, Vergeire noted.
(INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)
The DOH earlier reported that the Indian variant was detected from two OFWs – the one from the UAE who arrived in the Philippines on April 29 and is currently in the Bicol region, and a 37-year-old sea-based OFW who arrived in the country from Oman on April 10.
He is currently in the Soccsksargen region.
Vergeire said that the OFW from Oman had six close contacts—three of those close contacts had tested negative for COVID-19 while the DOH is still verifying the remaining three.
As of May 14, the number of total active COVID-19 cases in the country is at 58,986.
The DOH’s case bulletin on Friday showed that the country has so far confirmed a total of 1,131,467 COVID-19 cases.