Philippines still looking for 3 contacts of Filipino who got UK variant

The Department of Health has located another close contact of the Filipino who was found to have the UK variant of the COVID-19 virus after travel to the United Arab Emirates, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Thursday.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Vergeire said that, out of the 213 close contacts, the DOH was still looking for three close contacts.

“Ngayon tatlo na lang po ang hindi natin natutunton. Kagabi nahanap natin  'yung isa uli. Tatlo na lang po. Dalawang taga-National Capital Region at saka isang taga-Region 7,” Vergeire said.

DOH earlier said a total of 13 people linked to the initial case of the UK variant had  tested positive for COVID-19, including his eight co-passengers  in a flight and five close contacts.

Samples from the five close contacts have been sent to the Philippine Genome Center to determine through genome sequencing if they were also infected with the UK variant.

Vergerie said that new samples will be collected from the eight co-passengers for the same procedure.

“Ang kanila pong CT values are more than 30 kaya hindi po siya puwedeng ma-sequence at maisama doon sa pino-proseso natin. So they will be reswabbed,” she added.

On Wednesday, DOH said that the mother and the girlfriend of the Filipino who tested positive for the UK variant have tested positive for COVID-19.

Vergeire said the results of the test on the two women were sent to the Philippine Genome Center to determine if they were also infected with the UK variant.

The results are expected to be released either on Thursday night or Friday morning.

The male Filipino arrived in the Philippines on board a flight from the United Arab Emirates last January 7. He and his girlfriend went to the UAE in late December for a business trip. -Joviland Rita/NB, GMA News