The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, May 22, said that there is no need to control the country's borders or implement mandatory mask-wearing despite the rise of Covid-19 cases in Singapore.

At a Palace press briefing, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa underscored that the department is monitoring Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI), with Covid-19 being one of those.

"Luckily, even the cases in Singapore are mostly respiratory droplet infections, common cold-like, so I'm not thinking border control, mandatory masks, I'm not thinking of that," Herbosa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

However, Herbosa advised the public to follow minimum health standards.

"If you are sick, experiencing cough, colds, or a sore throat, it's better to stay home. If you need to go out, wear a mask. So it's still a personal (responsibility)," he said.

'Should we get vaccinated again?'

Meanwhile, the secretary answered the question circulating that the public should be vaccinated again due to the Ministry of Health of Singapore suggesting there might be a waning effect of immunity,

"That should be a personal discussion between the physician and you, the one with the request for a vaccination," said Herbosa "because I think the ones that need the vaccination are only the high-risk people."

He then emphasized that there are 78 million people that were vaccinated with boosters and "I think they still have some level of immunity."

"So, no requirement for border control, no requirement for mandatory mask, no requirement for additional vaccination," Herbosa said.

"But we're monitoring the cases," he added.

Variant under monitoring

Moreover, Herbosa said the possibility of the variant under monitoring is now in the Philippines but "isn't that serious."

"It's possible. Although the variant isn't serious, that's why it's only classified as a variant under monitoring. There are variants of concern and those that are declared public health emergencies of international concern. So, this variant is under monitoring. It spreads quickly," he said.

"So, they're thinking maybe immunity is waning. In the Philippines, we don't have enough samples because we need a number of samples for genetic testing," he added.

According to the Epidemiology Bureau's report, there are not enough samples for genetic testing.

If cases increase, Herbosa stressed his plan to enlist the Philippine Genome Center to analyze which variant is spreading.

On May 21, the DOH issued a reminder to all healthcare professionals, emphasizing the importance of promptly and accurately reporting positive Covid-19 cases.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/21/doh-reminds-doctors-of-mandatory-reporting-of-positive-covid-19-patients