THE Department of Health (DoH) on Monday gave assurances that the country’s health facilities are ready for any spike in coronavirus disease infections that may be triggered by the entry of the highly transmissible Omicron BQ.1 subvariant.

Fourteen cases of BQ1 have been recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Central Visayas, and the National Capital Region (NCR).

BQ1 is a sublineage of the BA-5 subvariant, is more transmissible than the other subvariants and is immune evasive.

A triage system and step-down facilities are now in place should there be an increase in the health care utilization rate.

The DoH said that sticking to health protocols and strengthening of the country’s health surveillance on infectious diseases are still the best defense against the virus.

“Kaya ang mas importante talaga ay pigilan ang pagpasa sa virus para maiwasan ang pag-mutate nito. At lalong importante na laging handa ang ating health care system to respond to these emerging variants (It’s important to stop the spread of the virus to prevent its mutation. And it’s more important that our health care system is always ready to respond to these emerging variants),” DoH Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

She gave assurances that available Covid-19 jabs are effective against the virus and provide an added layer of protection against infections.

Meanwhile, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña said a spike in Covid-19 cases is likely to be seen during the holiday season but that it would not be as high as the first Covid wave.

“Should there be a higher number of cases, it won’t be as big, I don’t think it will surpass 5,000 cases. And again, most of these cases will be mild and won’t need hospitalization,” Salvaña said in a press briefing.

“So, if ever the number goes up, it is because of the activity of the public during Christmas. I do not think it will be as dramatic as the number of cases that we saw last January, after Christmas. I think what will happen here, although there might be an increase (in cases), it will be minimal because many are already vaccinated,” he added.

He urged the public to help keep the number of positive cases at manageable levels amid the relaxed policy on the wearing of face masks.