DOH seeks NBI help anew to track down UK variant case from Cebu

Published February 10, 2021 01:31 PM By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA News

The Department of Health has again sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation in tracking down a 35-year-old male Liloan, Cebu resident who tested positive for the UK coronavirus variant, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Wednesday.

“We have sought the help already of the NBI para mas matunton po natin kung talagang wala na sa ating bansa itong individual na ito and also the manifest from the airline kung saan nagsabi sila ng specific date of exit nitong tao from Liloan, Cebu,” she said in a virtual briefing.

Earlier, the patient was identified as a returning overseas Filipino with a local address in Liloan

, whose samples were collected on January 17. 

DOH Region 7 clarified, however, that he left Cebu in November last year

“to process his requirements as an OFW, and has never traveled back to his hometown since then.” 

According to the DOH, the patient was exhibiting mild symptoms of COVID-19 before went untraceable.

The country has so far logged 25 cases of the more transmissible UK variant, 22 of whom have already recovered, one has died, and two cases have remained active.

Late in January,  the DOH asked the help of the NBI to trace two close contacts of another UK variant case. —LBG, GMA News

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