Omicron, the more contagious strain of COVID-19 is said to be the culprit behind the spike of cases at the onset of 2022. Some argue that it can act as a ‘path to herd immunity,’ but others beg to differ
At this point of the outbreak, your peers, their cousins, or the family who lives next door have probably caught flu-like symptoms of COVID-19. In the Philippines, the cases are at an all-time high and people can only blame the disease’s latest and more contagious variant Omicron.
It's easy to point fingers at 'Tita Jennie' who attended all sorts of gatherings during the holidays, we look to our friend, 'Jim', who went out of town to hike for the first time in years, or perhaps anybody whose Instagram or Facebook stories looked lively in the past few weeks . . . While these trigger-happy feelings are valid, the people who received our rage-fueled stinky eyes have become the unfortunate scapegoat of the inevitable downsides brought by the unfolding global health crisis.
Almost two years into this ordeal, many Filipinos are still clamouring for free and accessible mass testing and a more reliable contact tracing. As other countries heighten their quarantine protocols, ours have opened theme parks, bars, and borders.
In case you missed it: COVID-19 Omicron Variant: Here's Everything You Need to Know
On social media, the name Gwyneth Chua even topped the trending topics for days. The story goes that Chua escaped her supposed five-day quarantine to party in Poblacion, Makati. Her RT-PCR test came back positive a day after she went out.
In a radio interview, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat revealed that the agency received complaints from people who contracted the virus after rubbing shoulders with Chua.
“We received a number of signed affidavits because they themselves caught COVID-19. And the woman was proud to say that she has connections. The bad thing about all of this was that she tested positive on the fifth day and those who were with her also tested positive.”