Dr. Jaime Montoya, director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, who oversees the review of anti-COVID-19 vaccines and their clinical trials in the country, said the new strain has not yet entered the Philippines.
“Sa ngayon po, sa ating nalalaman, wala pa po dito sa atin yung variant na isa, yung sinasabing nasa UK na-identify sa southern part of England,” Montoya said during the Laging Handa program aired over state-run PTV-4 yesterday.
He said local authorities are monitoring if cases of the COVID variant would be reported. Montoya explained that COVID-19 has mutated as more and more people are infected.
President Duterte has barred travelers from the UK from entering the Philippines starting yesterday until Dec. 31 to keep out the new COVID-19 strain.
The fast-spreading variant has led to the introduction of tighter COVID restrictions in several countries, which have enforced travel bans from the UK.
This story is from the December 25, 2020 edition of The Philippine Star.
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This story is from the December 25, 2020 edition of The Philippine Star.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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