The Department of Health (DOH) issued a public advisory last Dec 15, 2021 informing the detection of the Omicron variant in two international travelers who arrived in the country onboard different flights. Both of them are currently in strict quarantine, an assurance the DOH has given the public to assuage fears and calm nerves, especially now that more Filipinos are outside their homes and enjoying the perks of the holiday season.

Now, is this a cause of concern or just an incident to underscore the importance of caution? Referring to the DOH’s advisory, it is a “relief” to see the assurance that the Omicron variant has not yet manifested in any local community transmission. This is indeed good news. Now, on the other side of the coin, how about the co-passengers in those two flights? Sitting inside an enclosed air-conditioned space for a long period of time, each passenger is at high risk for virus infection. The Omicron, based on still limited studies, is known to be easily transmissible.

Aware of this scenario, the DOH calls on all travelers from these two flights to monitor for symptoms. “At the first sign of COVID-19 symptoms, travelers should contact their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams in their respective LGUs or via the DOH hotline. The LGUs are also instructed to report to the DOH and isolate any passenger from these flights who has exhibited symptoms anytime during the 14 days after their arrival.”

The DOH then goes on to highlight the importance of vaccines and following health protocols. The advisory is not an alarmist’s statement but a calm balm to soothe the nation.

Not everyone, however, is convinced of this strategy, noting that the government should do more to ensure that the Omicron variant would not find its way to the lungs of Filipinos. Some health experts have even sounded the alarm, calling for a strict border control like what Israel has implemented. One of them is Dr. Anthony Leachon, a former health adviser to the IATF, who warned that the Omicron may be mild, but highly transmissible as seen in the deluge of new COVID cases in other countries. He added that if strict border controls couldn’t be implemented, the government has to intensify testing or reevaluate its quarantine protocols to impose more isolation days for arriving passengers.

A statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) may put a fire in our authorities’ belly when it warned that the Omicron variant is “spreading faster than any previous strains, and it is probably present in most countries of the world.”

“Seventy-seven countries have now reported cases of Omicron. The reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems.”

Based on the current situation, what is the best plan of action?

By now, our government should already be “experts” in our response as we are already 20 months into the pandemic. A wrong move would send us all back to our homes with Alert Level 5 raised all over cities and towns. A correct decision would see all of us enjoying more freedoms, with kids going back to school, and the economy pushing forward to recovery. What scenario will happen to us soon? Time can only tell.