'Huwag petiks,' Pangilinan calls for vigilance vs. new coronavirus variant

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday said the government should not be complacent while the new coronavirus variant, which was first discovered in the UK, has not been detected yet in the Philippines.

There should be no let down in pandemic response efforts, especially contact tracing, according to the opposition senator.

“Huwag nating ulitin ang mga pagkukulang natin last year. January pa lang last year, nanawagan na tayo ng preemptive ban sa mga bumibiyahe mula Wuhan at matinding contact-tracing para sa mga nandito na. Kailangang natuto na tayo at huwag nang magpapetiks-petiks pa para hindi kumalat ang sinasabing bagong variant ng COVID-19," Pangilinan said in a statement.

He also demanded an explanation on the case of the passenger from the Philippines who later on tested positive

“We call for a clarity of messages. Syempre ang unang iisipin ng ating mga mamamayan, dahil dito ang pinanggalingan ng bagong COVID positive na pasyente sa Hong Kong, ibig sabihin meron na rin dito sa Pilipinas noong bagong variant. Kailangang linawin ito ng maigi ng DOH at ire-assure ang ating mga kababayan," Pangilinan said.

Earlier in the day, the Department of Health said the UK variant of the coronavirus has not been detected yet in the Philippines.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Wednesday said its passenger who was reported to have tested positive for the UK variant of the coronavirus in Hong Kong presented a negative test result before taking the flight. —KG, GMA News