Philippines prepared for entry of other COVID-19 subvariants

The Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday that the Philippine government, the healthcare system, and the public are all prepared in case other COVID-19 subvariants get to enter the country.

In a press conference, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the country is now coping despite the detection of the Omicron subvariants BQ.1, BA.5, and XBB this year.

“Sa tingin natin itong estado natin ngayon as to healthcare capacity, as to the knowledge and skills of our doctors, our healthcare workers ‘yung kahandaan ng ating gobyerno, pati na rin ‘yung publiko natin, sa tingin ko handa tayo kung ano man ang darating sa atin because we’ve gone past ‘yung BQ.1, BA.5, and even ‘yung XBB at iba pang subvariants na dumaan,” she said.

(We think that our state today as to healthcare capacity, the knowledge and skills of our doctors and healthcare workers, the government, and the public, I think we are ready for whatever comes to us because we've gone past the BQ.1, BA.5, and even the XBB and other subvariants that have passed.)

“Medyo tumataas and kaso, but we are managing already,” she added.

(The cases are quite rising, but we are managing already.)

Vergeire said last week that there was no need to panic about the slight increase in COVID-19 infections as long as hospital utilization in the country remains manageable.

Based on DOH’s latest data, 509 or 20.4% of the 2,501 intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients were occupied. 4,455 or 22.5% of the 19,819 non-ICU COVID-19 beds, meanwhile, were currently in use.

The country also reported 863 new COVID-19 cases — the lowest recorded since December 13. —NB, GMA Integrated News