DOH Region 7 confirms local transmission of Delta variant in Cebu City

The Department of Health in Region VII has confirmed the local transmission of Delta coronavirus variant in Cebu City.

During the Laging Handa briefing Wednesday, DOH Region VII chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said their COVID-19 data showed that two infected individuals who contracted the Delta variant have no travel history or contacts with Filipinos from other countries.

“Base po diyan, masasabi po natin na lahat ng nilabas ng Philippine Genome Center na mga Delta variant cases dito ay we would say na local transmission po ito or community [transmission],” she said.

(Based on that, we would say that the Delta variant cases as reported by the PGC are local transmissions or community transmissions.)

So far, DOH Region 7 has reported 36 cases of Delta variant.

“Sometime between July 28 at August 4, nakatanggap po tayo ng result na mayroon po tayong 32 na positive for Delta variant. Noong mga nakalipas na araw, may naidagdag na apat,” she said.

(Sometime between July 28 at August 4, we receive the result that we have 32 cases that tested positive for Delta variant. In the last few days, there were additional four cases.)

These Delta variant cases have already been classified as recovered. Loreche said most of them were asymptomatic.

Meanwhile, Loreche attributed the increase of COVID-19 cases in the region to COVID-19 pandemic fatigue, “very open” borders, and public’s non-compliance to minimum health standards.

She added that gatherings of fully-vaccinated individuals, especially the young ones, have also contributed to the rise in COVID-19 numbers in the region.

Apart from these, Loreche said there’s also a delay in adjusting measures to curb the COVID-19 transmission.

Based on their latest data released early this August, Loreche said only one of its 28 patients who died of COVID-19 was fully vaccinated.

On Wednesday, the implementation of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) with heightened restrictions started in 11 areas in Cebu province.

The affected are cities of Talisay, Naga, and Carcar, and municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, Minglanilla, Sibonga, Argao, Samboan, Oslob, and Cordova.

These towns were previously under MECQ but due to fresh cases soaring to 200, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia issued an executive order to make lockdown restrictions tougher. — RSJ, GMA News