President Bongbong Marcos on Friday assured the public that the country’s health authorities are monitoring “very closely” the coronavirus Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5.

“So, we’re watching it. Of course, very closely. But so far, it looks like it’s fine, it looks like we’re managing it,” Marcos said in an interview after his ocular inspection of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.

The President stressed that government agencies and instrumentalities are not letting their guard down, especially with concerns about the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5.

“It looks like the new variants that are entering here, that are coming, we are waiting. We are watching closely.”

At present, the Philippines is still free of the highly transmissible subvariant of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Marcos emphasized that he has always “looked at the hospitals and the occupancy rate” in assessing the situation in the Philippines regarding the emerging Covid-19 variants.

“Because I start to worry that the hospital will not be able to accept patients because they are full. We are not there yet,” he said.

“What has happened, is the occupancy rate of hospitals has increased because those who have not been hospitalized for two years are now coming to the hospital. It’s not for COVID, it’s for other things,” he added.

The Department of Health has decided that there is no need to impose stricter restrictions on incoming travelers from China, where Covid-19 cases are surging due to the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5.