DOH warns vs. sore eyes as new COVID strain sign

THE Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday advised the public to be vigilant against the spread of conjunctivitis, commonly known as sore eyes or pink eye, saying it is one of the new symptoms of COVID-19, particularly the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 or Arcturus.

Meanwhile, the weekly COVID positivity rate in Metro Manila went up to 14.3 percent as of April 27, the independent monitoring OCTA Research Group reported.

Dr. Rontgene Solante, chief of Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine of the state-run San Lazaro Hospital, said persons with “Arcturus

Recto scores LTO for inefficient fiscal management

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

BATANGAS Rep. Ralph Recto on Saturday said the P249 million needed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to buy 5.2 million plastic driver’s license cards was being earned by the agency in just in three and one-half days.

“Not all procurement debacles stem from lack of money. Some are caused by inefficiency, by agencies rich in resources, but poor in foresight,” Recto said.

Recto said the LTO generated revenues of P26.68 billion last year, “which comes up to P73 million a day.”

“So it would only take three and onehalf days of LTO collections to fund the P249 million required to purchase a year’s supply of plastic driver’s license cards,” Recto said.

At P19.32 billion, motor vehicle user’s charge and other registration fees accounted for bulk of the LTO collections in 2022.

Next were license fees, which contributed P3.24 billion. Fines and penalties added P3.08 billion to the LTO coffers.

The LTO reported issuing 5.332 million new and renewed driver’s licenses and 1.640 million student permits last year.

Unlike typhoon damages whose rehabilitation costs cannot be predicted in advance, Recto said “the volume of driver’s license cards needed annually is more or less set, and so is the budget to be allocated.”

“When it comes to procurement, LTO should have heeded its advice to drivers -- to anticipate road conditions and be on the lookout for hazards,” he said.

Recto said “if procurement red tape is the usual suspect for the delay, then fix it and learn the lesson so it won’t happen again.” pink eye” will also show other signs of COVID infection. According to Solante, sore throat, runny nose, and headache might be some of these manifestations, adding that coughing does not normally go with conjunctivitis. He stressed that sore eyes and COVID are both highly-transmissible.

“.They have to isolate themselves. Stay at home, and wash their hands every time they touch their eyes or face,” he said.

Independent monitoring group Octa Research Group earlier attributed the rising coronavirus infections to the Arcturus subvariant, which was first detected in a patient in Iloilo province.

The DOH said the patient was asymptomatic and has recovered.

OCTA fellow Guido David said the latest positivity rate, or the percentage of tests turning out positive for the coronavirus, rose to 14.4 percent from 9 percent as of April 20. David said however that deaths and