DOH: Not enough data to conclude Chinese tourists source of COVID-19 in Philippines

There is not enough data to support the conclusion that the three Chinese tourists who visited the Philippines early this year were responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in the country, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

At an online forum on Wednesday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire urged caution in interpreting the recent findings of the state-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), which identified two major SARS-CoV-2 lineages that originated in China, lineages A and B, and six other sub-lineages each from samples collected in Metro Manila, Ilocos Sur, Rizal, Laguna and Bohol.

"Kailangan nating i-interpret with caution kasi iyong napag-aralan ng RITM, maliit na portion pa lang ng population, it was done in... hindi ganoong karaming places," she said.

"Because the sample is still small and area [where it was done] is limited, it is not conclusive yet for us to have an accurate conclusion," Vergeire added, stressing that further study is needed.

"Kailangan i-further pa ang pag-aaral. We need more details before we can actually say na hindi iyong mga Chinese ang nag-spread ng infection at nagkaroon ng tayo ng ibang pinanggalingan ng infection natin."

The first COVID-19 cases in the country — the three Chinese tourists — were recorded in January, but community transmission only started in March, prompting the government to impose border lockdowns and suspend non-essential work to prevent mass gathering and subsequently, prevent virus transmission.

The varying lockdowns brought about by quarantine protocols have already left around 27 million people unemployed, according to a recent Social Weather Stations survey.

The Philippines has recorded 202,361 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 133,460 recovered while 3,137 died.

The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 65,764. —KBK, GMA News