The City Information Office (CIO) in a report Schlosser said the Omicron variant is 10 times more transmissible and it can infect an exponential number compared to other variants.
Schlosser, however, clarified that the 75 cases have since "clinically recovered" and a repeat of the PDITR (prevent, detect, isolation, treat, reintegration) strategy is currently being conducted.
Out of these cases, 65 are local cases and 10 are returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), adding these specimens were technically taken more than a month ago.
"That's the downside of the whole genome sequencing because it would take three weeks to one month before they read the specimens. So when we receive the information, our patients have technically clinically recovered, especially now that we have this vaccination and then we have shortened isolation,” Schlosser said.
She added that once the Department of Health (DOH) identifies a new SARS CoV2 variant, he or she will have to undergo a repeat swabbing, repeat contact tracing, and repeat isolation to make sure there is no ongoing transmission.
She said no deaths have been reported yet with an Omicron case in the city.
The local Omicron cases may be coming from other regions as the mandatory RT-PCR negative test requirement upon entry to the city has already been lifted.
She said only arriving international flights passengers are required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before their flight for Davao.
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