Cases of Covid-19 Delta variant in Eastern Visayas have jumped to 11 with the detection of a new carrier in Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
The Department of Health announced in a press briefing late Thursday that this confirmation of the new Delta variant case was communicated by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau last week.
Marc Steven Capungcol, head of the DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said all cases of Delta variant are considered local transmission as they do not have any travel history outside the region since the pandemic broke out last year.
“The DOH stresses 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 further transmission,” Capungcol said.
Contact tracing is imperative as the utilization rate of hospitals in the region is affected by the surge of Covid-19 cases.
Currently, the utilization rate of a hospital in Ormoc City is at a high-risk level; moderate risk for Tacloban City, and Samar; and the rest are still at a low-risk level.
On July 30, the health department confirmed the first 10 Delta variant cases in Eastern Visayas, all categorized as local cases.
Of the 10 cases, five were detected in Borongan City, three in Can-avid, and one each Arteche in Eastern Samar; and in this city.
Nine of them have fully recovered while one died of lung cancer, according to the DOH.
The 10 cases are part of 214 samples sent in three batches by the DOH field office to the Philippine Genome Center between June to July this year.
The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, are easily transmissible, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means people may be more contagious if they contract the virus and more easily spread it to others.
Source: Philippines News Agency