Manila identifies 36 contacts of Delta variant cases –DOH

The city government of Manila traced 36 contacts of the three Delta variant cases earlier reported there, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday as it assured the public that the COVID-19 situation in the capital city was “manageable.”

“They were able to identify about 36 individuals already who came in contact with the three positive individuals with Delta variant in the city of Manila,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Palace briefing.

The DOH reported last week that three of the 11 local Delta variant cases were from Manila City.

Despite this, Vergeire said only granular lockdowns in Manila are needed for now.

“With the analysis of their data at nakipag-usap tayo kay Mayor Isko [Moreno], nakita natin ‘yung mga kaso nila manageable, nakita natin effective naman po 'yung ginagawang PDITR (Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Reintegration) [strategy],” she said.

(We've analyzed their data, and we've spoken with Mayor Isko, we concluded that their cases are manageable. We saw that their PDITR  efforts were effective.)

“So we guided them, we suggested granular lockdowns for now. But every day we will be assessing if we need to escalate the restrictions,” she added.

Vergeire also said the DOH would meet with experts on Monday to discuss restrictions in NCR Plus or Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

The Philippines has so far detected 35 Delta variant cases, three of whom have died.

One fatality was a 58-year-old woman from Pandacan, Manila who died on June 28. — DVM, GMA News