MANILA — Department of Health (DOH) secretary Francisco Duque III plans to recommend a stricter border control for arriving travelers from the Middle East.
The tightening of borders is needed since the first two cases of the B.1.617 coronavirus variant in the Philippines were from travelers from the Middle East and not from India where the variant was first reported, he explained.
In an advisory on Tuesday, DOH said the first patient of B.1.617 variant was a 37-year-old male seaman who returned to the country from Oman on April 10, while the second case was a 58-year-old seaman who returned on April 19. They have both recovered from the virus.
According to Duque, the B.1.617 variant has already been reported in 42 countries but consultations with the World Health Organization (WHO) country representative is still needed to determine if the stricter border control should cover more countries.
The Philippines has imposed a travel ban to arriving travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
âOur border control is very strictâŚthat is why we were able to quarantine them (two B.1.617 patients). We observed the isolation, testing and quarantine protocols,â Duque said.
The India COVID-19 variant was dubbed a âdouble mutantâ due to the presence of two notable mutations in the spike protein of the virus, which are said to allow the virus to easily gain entry into the human body and multiply faster.
On Monday, the WHO classified B.1.617 as one âof concernâ joining the variants first detected in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), and Brazil (P.1)./PN
