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Palace calls for vigilance amid emergence of India variant


Malacañang on Tuesday called on the public to remain vigilant after the Department of Health (DOH) reported two cases of the more transmissible B.1.617 coronavirus variant first detected in India.

“We call on our fellow Filipinos, we know that if we do not take care of our lives, we will not be able to go back to work. That is why the President’s call is for us to take care, wear a mask, wash hands frequently, observe social distancing and get a COVID-19 vaccine,” Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque then said that the government is taking all needed measures to prevent the Indian variant from wrecking havoc, citing the mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning Filipinos overseas of which 10 days is under a government isolation facility, increasing of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients and banning travelers from India and nearby countries.

“We will continue to do these measures because whether or not there is an Indian variant, it is way cost-efficient rather than shutting down our economy,” Roque said.

The World Health Organization has classified the Indian variant of coronavirus as a variant of concern, meaning “one associated with increased transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, increased virulence, or decreased effectiveness of health protocols, diagnostics, vaccines, or therapeutics.”

The Philippines has 59,897 active COVID-19 cases as of May 10.

The Indian variant was reported less than a day after Cagayan, Apayao, and Benguet (excluding Baguio City) were placed under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) protocol from May 10 to May 23, 2021.

MECQ protocol bans non-essential trips and partially shuts down non-essential businesses and services.

Prior to the addition of three provinces, areas under MECQ until May 14 include National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, City of Santiago in Isabela, Abra, Quirino and Ifugao.

Professor Ranjit Rye of the OCTA Research Group earlier said that the country is not yet ready to ease quarantine restrictions.

“We can understand if the government will have discussions on extending the MECQ because we need some more time to heal, and we need some more time for government interventions,” Rye said during the Laging Handa briefing.

“We will support whatever the government decides. What we're suggesting is caution. What we're suggesting is a calibrated slow exit strategy so we can sustain the trends,” Rye added. — BM, GMA News

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