No border closure yet amid Monkeypox scare SIBOL MLBB team wins back-to-back gold

No border closure yet amid Monkeypox scare

ANDREW DELA PLANA

As the monkeypox virus spreads mostly in Europe, the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 said that border closure is not yet necessary, last Saturday.

National Task Force Medical Adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa announced in “Laging Handa” briefing that there is no need to close the country’s borders as monkeypox is not as contagious as the COVID-19 virus.

“As an adviser I will not recommend closing our borders just because there are 85 reported cases of monkeypox,” Herbosa reported.

Herbosa also explained that since monkeypox is a relative of an already eradicated smallpox virus, the vaccine manufacturing will be much easier.

“Yung smallpox virus, maaring magawang bakuna at pupuwedeng epektibo dito sa Monkeypox. So sa mga bansa na naka-freeze 'yung virus ng smallpox, they can actually manufacture the necessary vaccine although wala tayo commercially. Kapag kumalat, puwedeng gumawa ng bakuna,” he said.

According to Department of Health Undersecretary Dr. Abdullah Dumama, the mortality rate of the Monkeypox virus is only about one percent.

“Mayroon din pong fatality ito, fatality rate na at least 1 point — ah 1 percent lamang po. Hindi naman ho ito gaanong ganoon ka-virulent at hindi ito nagbibigay ng malalang sakit, mahal na Pangulo,” Dumama said in a prerecorded Talk to the People when President Duterte asked about its fatality rate.

As of May 20, there are 80 confirmed Monkeypox cases across at least 11 countries, with 10 countries not endemic to the virus detecting it.

The symptoms of Monkeypox usually include fever, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes or lesions. [R]

PH showing SupremaSEA SIBOL MLBB team wins back-to-back gold RENZ BAUTISTA

Team SIBOL MLBB won the gold medal for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports event after beating Team Indonesia 3-1 in the recently concluded 31st Southeast Asian Games.

The stacked SIBOL team was composed of MLBB world champions Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario, Salic Alauya “Hadji” Imam, Johnmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna, Dexter Louise “Dexstar” Cruz Alaba, and rookies Kyle Dominic “Dominic” Soto, Lee Howard “Owl” Gonzales, and Russel Aaron “Eyon” Usi. was a quick 10-minute match after a successful pickoff by Del Rosario’s Akai, followed by Gonzales’s game-winning Beatrix flicker play.

SIBOL MLBB had first gone in the grueling group stages where they overpowered Team Malaysia, Team Laos, and Team Myanmar, all 2-0.

Its semifinal match against Team Singapore was a close 2-1 victory after Villaluna’s shotcalling, securing the finals against Team Indonesia. pro scene from multiple teams such as RRQ, Evos Legends, and ONIC Esports who have represented Indonesia in MLBB world champion tournaments.

With its gold-medal win, the Philippines have successfully defended its throne from the 30th SEA Games wherein MLBB was formally introduced as a medal event in the SEA Games.

Meanwhile, SIBOL teams in other divisions have also bagged medals in the esports event such as League of Legends: Wild Rift Women’s Team (Gold), League of Legends PC (Silver), and CrossFire (Silver). [R]