By Lade Jean Kabagani 

SAFE DISTANCE. Workers queue for Covid-19 vaccines at the Teleperformance Center Ayala in Makati City on March 8, 2022. The event preceded the fourth national vaccination days on March 10 to 12 and underscored the government’s drive to provide protection to front-liners and hasten the country’s economic recovery. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) continues to strengthen its prevent-detect-isolate-treat-reintegrate (PDITR) strategies amid the warning on the possible spread of the recombinant virus of the Delta-Omicron (Deltacron) variants.

Among the measures is intensified genome sequencing to immediately determine whether the Deltacron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has already emerged in the country.

“Walang namang kaba sa ginagawa nating public minimum health standards. Ang importante, kaya humingi kami ng tulong ng lahat sa bakunahan (There’s no issue in the implementation of our public minimum health standards What’s important, that’s why we are appealing to all, is vaccination). It’s really the game changer and will afford additional protection for our citizens,” National Vaccination Operations Center chair and Health Undersecretary, Dr. Myna Cabotaje, said in an interview on Saturday.

She emphasized that inoculation is a vital key to fight the variant “considering that immunity is waning after a long time of being vaccinated”.

Presidential Adviser on Covid-19 Response, Secretary Vince Dizon, earlier said the country will always be ready for the emergence of new variants.

He said the Deltacron variant is “not yet a dominant variant of concern” in the Philippines.

The World Health Organization said the Deltacron was first detected in France. (PNA)