The Department of Health (DoH) is not recommending mandatory masking or border controls, at least for now, amid the reported increase in Covid-19 cases in Singapore due to the FLiRT variants.

In a Palace briefing on Wednesday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told the public to observe minimum public health standards as the DoH monitors the situation.

“I’m not thinking of border control, mandatory mask... I’m not thinking that, but I’m advising every Filipino to observe minimum public health standards,’’ Herbosa said.

“If you are sick, you have a cough, cold, sore throat, better to stay home. If you need to go out, wear a mask. So, it’s still personal,” Herbosa added.

New virus wave

However, he acknowledged the emergence of a new “Variant Under Monitoring” (FLiRT) in Singapore and its potential impact.

The Singaporean government recently reported a new wave of Covid-19 infections after its projected weekly case count nearly doubled from 5 to 11 May to 25,900 from 13,700.

Herbosa said a private hospital in the Philippines noticed a rise in Covid-19 cases among its personnel.

He said that hospital’s Covid-19 utilization rate is “still very low” according to DoH Epidemiology Bureau data.

“Although, I’m watching the events unfold in Singapore because I think in Singapore, they have reported an increase in FLiRT — not flirtations. But FLiRT, the new variant under monitoring. It’s a variant under monitoring; it’s not a variant of concern, it’s a variant under monitoring,” Herbosa said.