The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that the Delta variant cases in the country are linked to one another—leading to what experts call as ‘local transmission’.
“The DOH on Thursday further emphasized the need to continuously enforce strict border control measures and intensify local COVID-19 responses with the local transmission of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant in the Philippines,” the department said in a statement.
“The country has been implementing travel bans and stringent border control measures to delay the entry of the variant, giving the country a headstart to prepare its capacity to manage potential surges,” it added.
The DOH said that clusters of Delta variant cases were seen to be ‘linked to other local cases’, therefore, exhibiting local transmission.
“Upon detection of local cases with the Delta variant, the DOH explained that the government has initiated enhanced COVID-19 response in areas where Delta variant cases were detected.
On Friday, July 23, Malacañang has announced that the Philippines has imposed a travel ban on travellers coming from Malaysia and Thailand starting 12:01AM of July 25.
Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque disclosed that the Philippines needs to impose a travel ban on Malaysia and Thailand over the new Delta coronavirus surge.
“We have been preparing for this. Nagpatupad tayo ng four-door strategy natin. Yung door one, nag-impose tayo ng travel restrictions. Pinakahuli yung Indonesia at baka mamaya, makasama na ang Malaysia at Thailand. Inaantay lang natin yung go-signal sa taas,” Duque earlier said in an ABS-CBN interview.
“Ito kasi yung mga bansa na mataas yung kanilang Delta variant cases,” he added
The country is currently implementing travel ban on 8 countries including the UAE, Oman, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia.
