ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Health – Western Visayas Center for Health Development urged all local government units in the region to prepare its health systems in anticipation of the possible entry of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

During the recent Region VI Joint Response and Vaccine Operation Cluster meeting, Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones of DOH 6 emphasized that even if all the detected Omicron cases in the country remain to be among the international arrivals, its entry and local transmission is inevitable.

According to the report of Pulmones, the B.1.1.529 or Omicron variant is over 10 times more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus or 4.2 times more transmissible than the Delta variant.

This was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa in November 2021 and now classified as a “variant of concern.”

Based on the data of the DOH, there were four reported Omicron cases in the Philippines and most have mild disease severity.

She also emphasized the campaign to increase vaccination rate by prioritizing A2 and A3 groups to minimize the transmission and burden on health care capacity of LGUs, as they have the highest risk for hospitalization and death.

Focused areas for vaccination are the provinces with less than 50% fully vaccinated coverage of the target population.

Despite the Omicron cases looming, still a number of cases of other COVID-19 variants continues to increase, including Delta that remains the most dominant.

DOH 6 reminded LGUs and local health authorities that prompt detection, isolation, and contact tracing, and the added protection of vaccination, lowers the number of cases. Thus, lessen the chances for the virus to be transmitted and the probability for it to further mutate. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)