16 more Delta variant cases detected, including 11 local cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Friday, July 16, 2021, 16 additional cases, including 11 “local cases,” of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the Philippines.

This brings the total number of Delta variant cases in the country to 35.

“The DOH, Philippine Genome Center and University of the Philippines – National Institutes of Health report the detection of 16 new Delta variant cases including the first local cases based on the latest whole genome sequencing report,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing.

“Five of the 16 cases are returning overseas Filipinos (ROF)… Eleven cases are classified as local cases,” she added.

The World Health Organization earlier said the Delta variant, first identified in India, is becoming the globally dominant variant of the disease, because of its increased transmissibility.

READ: Delta variant far stronger than other variants — IATF

While there is yet no evidence to prove that it is deadlier than other strains such as the Alpha variant first detected in the United Kingdom, studies showed that people infected with the Delta variant could be more likely to be hospitalized.

DOH mulling travel ban on Malaysia, Thailand amid Delta variant threat

Earlier, Vergeire said the Delta variant is believed to be 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant. An Alpha-positive person can infect four to five persons, while a Delta-positive one can infect eight persons, she explained.

Where these cases came from

Of the five ROF cases, Vergeire said one traveler arrived in the Philippines from the United Kingdom on April 26 and has already recovered from COVID-19 and has completed the 14-day quarantine period.

She said two of the ROF cases arrived from Qatar on June 15 and have already recovered.

The DOH is still verifying the arrival dates and quarantine status of the two other ROF cases, according to Vergeire.

Meanwhile, of the 11 local Delta cases, six were detected in Northern Mindanao.

Vergeire said they are “part of a large cluster of cases with dates of onset between June 23 to June 28.” All of them have been tagged as recovered.

Two of the local cases were detected in Metro Manila. “One case was tagged as death after being rushed to the emergency room of a hospital on June 28. The other case is an outpatient with an onset date of June 23 who was tagged as recovered already,” said Vergeire.

Another local case had onset of symptoms on June 27 and was already tagged as recovered. The patient was initially tested in Metro Manila but Vergeire said the patient’s “indicative address” was in Central Luzon.

“All of these cases have no known connection to each other,” said Vergeire.

The last two local cases were detected in Western Visayas, both with onset of symptoms on May 27 but have already recovered.