Manila Standard - 2021 August 17 - Tuesday

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Delta cases ‘rising fast’ Variant spreads to nearly all regions—expert By Willie Casas and Francisco Tuyay

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HE highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant has overtaken the other variants detected in the Philippines, the executive director of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) said Monday.

“In the past, we had a lot of Beta and Alpha variants, but now our sequenced samples show that Delta has the most,” said Dr. Cynthia Saloma of the PCG. In a separate briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Delta variant has been detected in nearly all regions of the

Philippines. Vergeire, however, said almost half of the 338 samples subjected to genome sequencing in the latest run tested positive for the Delta variant. “It seems the Delta variant proportion, based on this initial and very rough analysis, is really

A relative helps a patient breath thru hospital plastic non breather mask outside the Sta Ana hospital in Manila, on 16 2021. Norman Cruz

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Lambda less transmissible than other strains, DOH says By Willie Casas THE country’s first recorded Lambda coronavirus variant, a 35-year-old woman, is a local case, and not a returning overseas Filipino, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

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“The patient is a local case. She is not a returning overseas Filipino,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a radio interview. Vergeire also stressed that all the vaccines in use are effective, after some lab Next page

Let Congress find out how DOH handles funds—Palace By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz MALACAÑANG said Monday it would let Congress conduct a probe on the Department of Health’s “deficiencies” after several lawmakers questioned the agency’s handling of its over ₱67-billion COVID-19 pandemic response funds. The probe was triggered by the Commission on Audit’s 2020 report on the alleged deficiencies in DOH’s management of the funds due to non-compliance with pertinent laws. Next page

• Nurses’ group: Mass resignation, protest still in play • DOH: P15B spent for risk allowances, hazard pay • Vega: Funds downloaded to regional offices, LGUs

Laptop deal worth P700k also on hold THE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday revealed that it has stopped the procurement of four sets of highend laptops amounting to P700,000 after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged several spending deficiencies in the agency. Earlier this month, the DOH was set to acquire four “High-End 2-in-1 Laptop with Accessories” worth P700,000 – an amount enough for 20 computers with

DESPERATION.

Afghan people climb atop a commercial plane as they wait at the airport in Kabul on August 16. Thousands of people mobbed the city’s airport trying to flee the Taliban group’s feared hardline brand of Islamist rule. Later however, the Pentagon said all military and civilian flights were halted at the airport. US soldiers killed two armed men at the airport, while videos showed hundreds trying to impede the takeoff of a US military transport. Reports said at least five persons were killed, either being crushed or falling from the airplane after it took off. AFP

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1,755,846 14,610

Biden breaks his silence on US-Afghanistan fiasco

106,672

30,366

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden will break his silence Monday on the US fiasco in Afghanistan with an address to the nation from the White House, as a lightning Taliban victory sent the Democrat’s domestic political fortunes reeling. Cutting short his planned vacation, Biden will return to Washington from the Camp David presidential residence and “will deliver remarks on Afghanistan” in the White House’s East Room, a statement said. The address was scheduled for 3:45 pm (1945 GMT or 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, Manila time).

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1,618,808 10,674 (As of 4 PM, AUGUST 16)

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32 Filipinos escape from Kabul, rest also leaving By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said an initial batch of 32 Filipino workers were evacuated from now Taliban-occupied Afghanistan, as 19 more are expected to leave anytime. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ed Meñez said the DFA is arranging the repatriation of the remaining Filipinos— said to be fewer than 130--still left in capital Kabul. The immediate repatriation of Filipinos in Afghanistan is being undertaken after

the Taliban seized Kabul and regained control of Afghanistan, 20 years after it was ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001. About 98 Filipinos in Kabul are appealing to the Duterte government to bring them home. According to a “24 Oras” TV report, 32 Pinoys were able to catch a flight that had already landed in Doha, Qatar. Among the Filipinos remaining in Afghanistan is Ricardo Tacbad, who hopes to go home before it is too late for them. “We are not sure about what will happen to us tomorrow. While we are still

alive and kicking, please move now. I hope the government will move quickly,” Tacbad said in the report. Another Filipino, Mark Suela, works as security for a hotel near Kabul airport. He said he is also worried, especially with videos circulating online of several residents wanting to flee the country. Suela also shared a video he filmed where gunshots are heard near his area. The DFA said it is “exploring all avenues of cooperation and are closely coordinating with governments and Next page

Duterte condoles with Haiti over tragedy; no Filipino hurt PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is extending his sympathies to the people of Haiti, who lost their loved ones in a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the Caribbean country on Saturday morning, and where a state of monthlong emergency has been declared, Malacañang said Monday. “On behalf of the Filipino nation,

President Rodrigo Duterte extends his sincere condolences to the government and to the people of Haiti for the tragedy and devastation caused by the strong earthquake that struck Haiti,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing. Citing the Department of Foreign Next page


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