Delta variant detected in Malabon

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health has detected one case of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Malabon, Mayor Antolin Oreta III said yesterday.

Oreta said the patient tested positive for the more infectious virus variant last July 6, but the city was informed only on Saturday.

The patient’s close contacts and family members tested negative for the virus, Oreta said.

“I’m assuming it has spread already. We are under the assumption that all cases are Delta, just to be careful,” he said.

Oreta said he met with department heads and barangay officials yesterday to intensify contact tracing, isolation and vaccination efforts.

There are 226 active cases of COVID-19 in Malabon as of Tuesday, up from 201 cases.

In Navotas, at least 100 senior citizens were inoculated with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine on Tuesday.

At least 54 elderly residents were immunized with the single-dose vaccine using the city’s vaccination bus parked at the Dagat-Dagatan Elementary School, Mayor Toby Tiangco said on Facebook.

Tiangco said 46 bedridden senior citizens received their jabs at home.

Navotas targets to vaccinate 100 more senior citizens using the single-shot vaccine brand, Tiangco said.

City hall is implementing “Vax 1, take 1” policy using the J&J vaccines for those who accompany their elderly.

Both the elderly and the companion can get the jab at the vaccination sites, Tiangco said as the city targets to vaccinate 10,000 senior citizens. The city government has received 1,600 doses of J&J vaccine from the United States.

Parañaque street locked down

In Parañaque, Tramo street in Barangay San Dionisio will be placed on lockdown beginning today until Monday after six members of a family were infected with COVID-19.

According to the city government, two of the household members were hospitalized while the others were isolated at a quarantine facility.

City hall will disinfect the household and the entire street during the lockdown.

City administrator Fernando Soriano said at least 300 residents in the area would undergo swab tests.

Soriano said the granular lockdown aims to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 amid the threat of the Delta variant.

As of yesterday, Parañaque has recorded a total of 22,940 COVID-19 cases with 285 active cases, 22,149 recoveries and 506 deaths. – Ghio Ong