NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
Officials with the Philippines Department of Health reported today a third case of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) coronavirus variant. According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the case is a 36-year-old returning overseas Filipino (ROF) who already tested negative for Covid-19 on December 19 after a repeat test.
He arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport from Qatar on November 28. A sample was collected from him on December 4 which yielded a positive result on December 5.
“The case completed his isolation in Cebu before traveling back to Cavite, his hometown, where he immediately self quarantined upon arrival. The case is currently finishing his home quarantine in Cavite and has remained asymptomatic since his arrival,” Vergeire said.
On Friday, health officials announced the administration of the 100 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine. As of December 16, 6PM the country has administered a total of 100,019,137, with over 43M individuals or 55.78% of the target population fully-vaccinated.
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“This gargantuan milestone is a huge turnaround from the scarcity of vaccine supplies we have once faced at the beginning of our vaccination program. This sparks hope that we can continue to march forward in this pandemic. We owe this to the people who have endeavored together to bring these vaccines to even the farthest barangays – from the Vaccine Cluster to the healthcare and local government unit workers, and volunteers – all selflessly working towards protecting more Filipinos from COVID-19,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.
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