15 foreigners test positive for COVID-19 in Palawan
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) confirms that more than a dozen foreign travelers tested positive for COVID-19, all while the government is relaxing pandemic restrictions in a bid to revive the damaged local economy brought about by years of lockdowns.
In a statement released to the media, Tuesday, the DOH says that around 15 individuals who visited the province of Palawan were declared positive for the deadly virus. All of whom are reported to be fully vaccinated.
"All 15 individuals mentioned are foreigners and are fully vaccinated, of which 13 were asymptomatic and 2 presented mild symptoms with onset dates from April 27-28. 14 were isolated in facilities while 1 was admitted at a hospital," the statement said.
"They were tested in RT-PCR on April 29-30, of which all resulted as positive."
No further details regarding their close contacts are available at the moment.
Cayagoncillo, Palawan is currently under the most lenient Alert Level 1, where establishments and modes of transportation are allowed at 100% capacity. The rest of Palawan however remain in Alert Level 2 until May 15.
"As of the moment, the DOH through the [Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit] and [City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit] are still verifying the situation and will update the public once more information is available," continued the DOH.
The report came just six days after the DOH reported the country's first case of Omicron’s new subvariant, BA.2.12, in Baguio City. The said sublineage is believed to be more transmissible than forms of COVID-19.
Around 188 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Philippines as of May 2, putting the total number of cases at 3.68 million. All of which are happening less than a week before the 2022 national and local elections. — James Relativo
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