Some 34 Delta variant cases out of the total 37 infections of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variants have been detected in Eastern Visayas.
The number of the detected variants is reportedly the highest logged since the region started sending samples to Manila for genome sequencing, the regional Department of Health reported on Tuesday.
Apart from the Delta variant, the region also recorded two cases of the Beta variant first identified in South Africa, and a case of the variant under investigation P.3 first detected in the Philippines.
“With this recent addition, there are now a total of 65 cases of the Delta variant identified and tagged in the region. This is the highest addition that the Department of Health Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development has recorded to the list of the Delta cases in the region, so far,” the DOH regional office said in its report.
All of the cases are still from the set of 104 samples sent to the Philippine Genome Center for whole-genome sequencing last Aug. 10, 2021.
“This means that this is in the same set as the previously reported batch of variant of concern cases and all are considered to be local cases,” the report added.
Of the 34 cases of the Delta variant, 12 are from Eastern Samar, four from Samar, 16 from Leyte, one from Tacloban City, and one from Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte.
Meanwhile, the Beta variant cases were detected in Anahawan and Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte while the variant under investigation was detected in Leyte, Leyte.
“Currently, the surveillance team of the DOH regional office is conducting active case investigations and monitoring to determine further details linked to the cases including the close contacts up to the third generation for case surveillance. All partner agencies, and the local governments concerned are in close coordination to ensure the safety of the detected cases,” the DOH said.
With the new cases of variants of concern, the DOH emphasized the importance of active case monitoring, surveillance, and contact tracing up to the third generation of all confirmed cases to control and contain any possible case of further transmission.
Source: Philippines News Agency