President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. FILE
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the government is “very closely” monitoring the emerging COVID-19 variants in other countries, noting that the Philippines has not yet reached a worrisome level.
The Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 – considered a “variant of concern” by the United States Centers for Control and Disease Prevention – is known to be among the most immunity-evasive “escape variants” to date, according to epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding.
READ: Meet XBB.1.5, the new COVID subvariant that defies immunity, infects more efficiently
And while the new variant is quickly spreading in other countries, including the US, Marcos said new strains like these have not yet raised the alarm in the Philippines.
“We are still in the same status. Kagaya ng mga bagong variant na pumapasok dito’t dumadating, binabantayan natin nang husto (Like the other variants that have entered the country, we’re closely monitoring them),” he told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Marcos pointed out that the rate of hospital occupancy has not yet been a cause of concern due to these new variants.
“I start to worry kapag iyong ospital ay hindi na kayang tanggapin iyong pasyente. Wala pa tayo roon. What has happened, nag-increase iyong occupancy rate ng mga ospital dahil iyong mga hindi nagpa-ospital noong dalawang taon. Ngayon, pumupunta pero it’s not for COVID. It’s for other things,” he said.
(I start to worry when the hospitals can no longer accept patients. We’re not there yet. What has happened is the hospital occupancy rate increased because of people who didn’t get hospitalized in the past two years. Now, they go to the hospitals, but it’s not for COVID. It’s for other things.)
Marcos reiterated that the government was watching the situation “very closely.”
“But so far, mukha naman maayos. Mukha namang na-ma-manage natin (But so far, it seems okay. It looks like we’ll be able to manage it),” he added.
According to the Department of Health, the country is still free from any reported infection of the XBB 1.5 COVID-19 subvariant.
It, however, reminded the public to continue employing layers of protection like wearing face masks, social distancing, and getting vaccinated as COVID-19 variants will continue to emerge and re-emerge.
READ: PH still free of XBB 1.5 COVID-19 subvariants – DOH