6 of 8 Delta variant deaths local cases – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — Six of eight deaths from the Delta variant of COVID-19 recorded in the country are local cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

At a press briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the two other fatalities are returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs). Of the fatalities, three were unvaccinated while the status of the five others is still being verified.

Two of the fatalities were from Cordova, Cebu, while there was one death each in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; Balanga, Bataan; Pandan, Antique and Pandacan, Manila.

Vergeire pointed out that they could still see the links of the Delta variant cases and are studying if there is already community transmission.

“But of course we have to prepare. We need to act as if there is community transmission. To declare that there is community transmission, we need evidence,” she added. In community transmission, the links between cases could no longer be detected.

Confirmed cases

The DOH confirmed a total of 36 Delta variant in Calabarzon. Of these cases, three are active, 21 have already recovered, 11 are for verification, while one has a pending test result.

“Samples taken from the contacts of the positive cases were already sent to the Philippine Genome Center for validation. We need to immediately identify the causes of the virus, how it originates and how it was transmitted in order to stop its spread in the communities,” DOH regional director Eduardo Janairo said. – With Ed Amoroso, Arnell Ozaeta, Miriam Desacada, Jose Rodel Clapano

In Region 8, the DOH has detected 10 cases of COVID-19’s Delta variant; nine from Eastern Samar and one from Tacloban City.

Although all have recovered, DOH regional director Exuperia Sabalbarino said they are conducting an investigation to determine the origin and extent of transmission.

A person with Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 experiences cold with the absence of cough, loss of sense of smell, fever and fatigue.

In Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno suspects the Delta variant has now spread all over the country.

“I have a bad feeling. I hope I am wrong. I suspect that the Delta variant is now spread all over. The Delta variant will explode on our faces. I have a bad feeling, all over the country,” Moreno said on One News.

“I have suspicion, because the result took so long, it has already spread. It’s too late when the people learned about it. The worst portion of that to all of you, my fellow Filipinos, is you will be lost because of the statements. That is why it is very important that we know the real situation,” Moreno said.

According to Moreno, as of Wednesday, there were 642 active COVID-19 cases in the city, with 66,582 total recoveries.

In the city’s six district hospitals, the bed occupancy rate is at 32 percent, while Manila’s COVID-19 quarantine facility has reached 65 percent capacity.