DAVAO CITY -- Amid reports that a new Covid-19 subvariant has entered the country, the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force on Thursday assured the city has the capacity to address the threat of the new variants here.
"I assure the public that the task force is prepared to face threats of the new variants of the virus. Our strategies are already in place, and we only have to push the button to address the threat of spike of cases," said Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force.
Health officials said Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 has been detected in 14 individuals—11 foreign tourists, two Metro Manila residents, and one resident of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.
Even with heightened border control measures, Schlosser said new variants cannot be prevented from entering the country and the city.
"The disease is invisible. Some of those infected have symptoms while others do not, and those who manifest symptoms even hide it and do not get themselves tested," she said.
Several public and private hospitals in the city are capable of catering to Covid-19 patients. Some of these are Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), private hospitals including Davao Doctors Hospital, San Pedro Hospital, Brokenshire Hospital, Metro Davao Medical and Research Center, Inc., and Anda Riverview Medical Center, Inc.
SPMC alone has 87 Covid-19 ICU beds and 455 COVID-19 ward beds.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 Task Force in the city said the active cases here remain at 14 as of Thursday.
The task force has urged Dabawenyos to get booster jabs as vaccination turnout is still well below 20 percent of the fully vaccinated population here. (PNA)
