274 Omicron XBC, XBB cases detected in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 274 new cases of the Omicron XBC and XBB subvariants have been detected in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

At a press briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said 193 XBC subvariants and 81 XBB subvariants were detected in the country based on the latest genome sequencing.

“The 193 cases of XBC were detected in 11 regions. These are in Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Caraga, Cordillera Administrative Region and the National Capital Region,” Vergeire said.

The health official said that out of the 193 XBC cases, 176 have recovered, three are still undergoing isolation and five have died while the remaining nine cases are still being verified.

As to the 81 cases of the Omicron XBB subvariant, these were found in two regions: Western Visayas and Davao Region.

Out of these 81 cases, 70 have recovered, eight are still undergoing isolation while the remaining three cases are still being verified and there was no death recorded, Vergeire noted.

18K cases by Nov. 15

Based on current projections, daily COVID cases may range from as low as 2,400 cases to as high as 18,000 by Nov. 15, Vergeire said at a press briefing.

“We have new projections, where it shows that by Nov. 15, we will still have cases and the low part for this would be 2,400 cases in a day. Now, if minimum public health standards adherence declines further, we can see as much as 18,000 cases per day by Nov. 15.”

Based on the latest COVID-19 case bulletin, the country has an average of 2,188 cases daily from Oct. 10 to 16, about seven percent higher than cases reported from Oct. 3 to 9.

The DOH said most areas in the country are showing incremental increase in COVID-19 cases but the National Capital Region (NCR) is showing a downward trend, while Mindanao is exhibiting signs of plateauing.
Vergeire noted that the latest projections do not include yet the latest variants of the COVID-19 detected in the country. She also said they need to factor in the projections the country’s current vaccination coverage.

Sinovac for kids 5-17

The DOH has approved the use of Sinovac as primary series vaccine for COVID-19 for 5 to 17 years old, as recommended by the Health Technology Assessment Council.

“The guidelines have already been issued yesterday (Monday) to jumpstart implementation,” Vergeire said.

Prior to the approval, only Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are being used for minors aged 6 to 17 years old; while only Pfizer is allowed for children aged 5-11 years old.

As to bivalent vaccines, the health official said that both Pfizer and Moderna haven’t applied for emergency use authorization.

Vergeire said they target the bivalent vaccines to arrive in the country by first quarter of 2023. “That is our objective that’s why as early as a month ago we have started negotiations with these manufacturers,” she added.

One Health Pass scrapped

To avoid causing too much inconvenience to travelers, the DOH announced that it will get rid of the One Health Pass and an E-arrival card will be issued instead.

“So we made a change to this One Health Pass. We now have this E-arrival card. This is what we discussed in our recent meeting with the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases),” Vergeire said yesterday.

“The change is because the previous One Health Pass provides inconvenience to our travelers. Too much details are being asked of them. You need to be online so you can access their link. With the E-arrival card, only a few details will be asked from the passengers. There will be less requirements,” Vergeire said.

“If you are unable to upload it, there will be a special lane at the airport wherein upon arrival, someone will assist you. You can do the uploading there and you will then be able to get your E-arrival card,” the health official added.

Earlier, the DOH bared plans to streamline the process concerning the issuance of One Health Pass following complaints from travelers.