The possibility that a new subvariant of COVID-19 arriving in Puerto Rico keeps the authorities vigilant, just as Holy Week approaches, one of the busiest times for travelers. This is XBB.1.16, informed Dr. Melissa Marzán, the main Epidemiology officer of the Health Department.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) is vigilant,” explained the epidemiologist about the omicron subvariant that has already been identified in 22 countries, mainly in India.
According to the WHO, this subvariant has overshadowed others that were circulating in India, becoming the predominant one there in the last month, with 10,500 new cases a week. From what is known to date, this subvariant is similar to XBB.1.5, the most widely circulated in the United States today.
“It seems that it is more transmissible,” said Marzán, who recommended that travelers wear masks, especially in closed spaces.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the transmission of COVID-19 remains high in 30.85% of the United States, while in 21.57% of its jurisdictions transmission is substantial, in 36.44% it is moderate and 11.14% low.
In Puerto Rico, until this Saturday, the positivity rate was at 10.18%. Only three towns –Culebra, Maricao and Rincón– have low transmission, while in 18 it is moderate, in 23 substantial and in 34 high.
“We are like 300 cases a day. Community transmission is still high, but the community level of COVID, which is hospitalizations, is low, below 100 (per day), even deaths are low,” Marzán specified.
According to Health data, today there was only one death from COVID-19, a 77-year-old man, without up-to-date vaccinations, from the Arecibo region. Meanwhile, there are 65 adults hospitalized for complications associated with the virus, including seven in intensive care units. At the pediatric level, 13 minors are hospitalized for the virus.
The epidemiologist warned that surveillance of cases in the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport it is maintained through two voluntary initiatives aimed at travelers. One is the delivery of home virus tests to travelers over 18 years of age and another is the performance of molecular tests on those passengers 16 years of age or older who enter the country. Both are done randomly and compliance is voluntary.
“You are invited to take the molecular test and the positive (cases) are sent to sequencing (for genomic surveillance),” he said about this management, which is carried out on travelers arriving at terminals A, B and C, mostly from international flights. .
Home tests and educational material are delivered to the baggage claim area. Travelers who agree are asked to record their results and are followed up for five days.
At the international level, the restrictions tied to the control of the pandemic have been gradually eliminated, including those related to travel.
As recently as March 10, the CDC removed the COVID-19-related requirement for air travelers from China, Hong Kong, or Macao, who no longer have to present a negative virus test or documents certifying recovery before boarding a plane bound for the United States. People who are not US citizens or US immigrants must, however, be fully vaccinated against the virus in order to travel to the United States, with some exceptions.
Since April 18 of last year, the CDC order that required the use of masks in the media and public transport centers was without effect. The Puerto Rican government, however, has warned that the use of masks is highly recommended on all public transportation, including boats that transport travelers to Vieques and Culebra.
Besides, about Puerto Rico there is no travel health advisory issued by the CDC. Although dengue is an endemic virus, there is no related restriction, but protection from mosquito bites is always recommended, since they transmit the virus.
