The Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) has urged residents from coastal towns of the province to be vigilant against foreign fishing vessels docking on their areas as a preventive measure against the possible entry of Delta variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In an interview on Thursday, PHO chief Dr. Anna Maria de Guzman said seaways are much wider than roads, giving ships more options to dock and make it easier to transmit the Delta variant to locals.
Coastal towns in the province receive foreign vessels usually from other provinces often dock along Pangasinan coastlines to replenish their supplies.
“Kailangan po silang masuri sa mga sintomas ng Covid-19 tulad ng pag-ubo, sipon, at sakit sa katawan. (They should be checked for symptoms of Covid-19 like cough, colds, and body pains),” she said.
While there is still no Delta variant case in the province, one overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was reported to be directly exposed with a Delta variant positive patient.
The local tested negative but is still under observation by health authorities.
Meanwhile, de Guzman advised the public to continue observing health protocols as the Delta variant could spread easier than other Covid-19 variants.
She also urged the public to get themselves vaccinated regardless of brand, especially if they belong to priority groups, to increase their chances of not acquiring the much-dreaded disease.
The Delta variant, also identified as the B.1.617.2 variant, was discovered in December 2020 in India.
Since its discovery, it has infected many individuals in several countries around the world, spreading faster than the earlier variants.
Researchers said the Delta variant is 50 percent more contagious than the Alpha variant.
Source: Philippines News Agency
