Get tested, Año urges those in Makati places visited by quarantine violator on Dec. 23

MANILA, Philippines — The people who were in the same establishments visited on Dec. 23 by the COVID-positive woman who skipped quarantine should get tested and isolate themselves, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in an interview on Thursday over ABS-CBN’s “Teleradyo.”

According to Año, the woman ate at a restaurant called Mijo and then went to a bar named Kampai — both in Barangay Poblacion in Makati on Dec. 23 after going out of her quarantine hotel.

“We confirmed that she went out of the hotel,” Año said, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English. “It was seen on CCTV that she was really there.”

The woman tested positive for COVID-19 after her swab test on Dec. 26, the last day of her quarantine after arriving from the US on Dec. 22.

However, it has not yet been determined whether she was infected with the Omicron variant, which is currently plaguing the US.

“We don’t know if it’s Omicron, but we have seen the speed of the virus spread here. So we’re asking everyone to be careful — especially those who were in the places we mentioned on December 23. Self-isolate and get a swab test to ensure your safety,” Año said.

He said the woman could have infected dozens of people, as around 15 have already tested positive for COVID-19

Earlier, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that the woman “boasted of having connections” after skipping quarantine and attending a party in Makati.

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