By Prince Golez

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Wednesday advised Filipinos to practice proper health protocols as precaution amid the spike of Covid-19 cases in Singapore.

“I am advising every Filipino, since that’s happening, that can come here, yung minimum public health standards. If you are sick, you have a cough, colds, sore throat, better to stay home. If you need to go out, wear a mask. So, it’s still personal,” Herbosa said in a Palace briefing.

He raised the possibility that the new COVID variants known as FLiRT, which are causing a surge in cases in Singapore, are also present in the Philippines.

“Yes. It is possible. Although the variant isn’t serious. That’s why it;s only classified as a ‘variant under monitoring’. Mabilis siya kumalat so they’re thinking nagwi-wane siguro ang immunity. Sa Philippines, we don’t have enough samples kasi we need a number of samples to do the genetic testing… Pag dumating yung cases, then, we will ask our Philippine Genome Center to again look at what variant is spreading,” according to him.

Herbosa also said that he does not recommend any travel restrictions on countries facing increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases.

“No. As I said, border control. The Bureau of Quarantine is of course continuing to monitor this. Remember may declaration form ka when you enter the Philippines, yung e-travel, di ba dinidieclare mo yung pag may symptoms ka… But, I will not recommend any border control that means banning travel to Singapore or to India,” the secretary said.

“The caution is precaution mo. You must be vaccinated at least. Or, if you are at risk, probably, I advise don’t travel there muna while they are having an increasing number of new cases,” he added.