KALIBO, Aklan – A returning overseas Filipino (ROF) worker in Aklan tested positive for the Delta variant of the virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
The University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) detected an additional 43 Delta, Theta, Beta and Alpha variant cases from swab samples collected from the last week of July and first week of August, according to Dr. Bea Camille Fillaro-Natalaray, DOH Medical Officer III.
Of the 17 Delta cases, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City and Iloilo province had four each; one was a local case in Iloilo City; one case from Capiz for verification; two ROFs from Iloilo province; and one ROF from Aklan.
Aklan now has 22 cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2.
UP-PGC also recorded three local cases of the Beta variant in Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, while two ROFs were identified in Iloilo province.
As to the Alpha variant, two local cases were recorded in Iloilo province and one ROF from Negros Occidental.
Bacolod City also has 10 new Theta (P.3) cases, Negros Occidental with eight cases and Iloilo City with one case.
Natalaray said backward contact tracing is being conducted by local government units.
Aklan remained in the moderate risk category with an average daily attack rate of 10 cases per 100,000 population, down from 20 last week, according to DOH-CHD on August 30, 2021.
The growth rate on cases of Aklan over the recent two weeks of August 13 to 28 at -50 percent compared to -35.49 percent of July 30 to August 12.
There have been 1,721 cases in previous two weeks, down by 869 cases in recent two weeks.
The province is also under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 despite the decreasing number of cases in the past two weeks. The health care utilization rate is at 30.90 percent, which is considered low risk.
Sixteen percent of 56 admissions in hospitals were critical, while 66 percent were asymptomatic, according to latest data of DOH.
There were clustering of cases in Kalibo with 127, Banga (69), Malay (68), Numancia (49), Batan (47), Altavas (46), Tangalan (40), Malinao (34), New Washington (27), and Lezo with 25 infections for the period August 16 to 29.
Region-wide, there were 103,260 confirmed cases, including 2,437 deaths and 12,163 active infections since the pandemic reached Western Visayas.
The health department has reminded the public to limit unnecessary travel, avoid non-essential gatherings, do active self-monitoring and immediate isolation upon experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, and practice the minimum public health standards./PN
