ANTIQUE – It was unfair to the city and province of Iloilo to be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) following the detection of the Delta variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Pandan town, according to Gov. Rhodora Cadiao.
“Somebody is nagpapalusot,” Cadiao said. “Pinaglalaraun tayo dito sa Region 6. Halata ko na binu-bully tayo dito.”
A Pandan couple tested positive for COVID-19 in May yet but it was only last week that they were confirmed to have been infected with the more transmissible Delta variant.
“Panis na na balita ‘yan,” said Cadiao, emphasizing that the case of the Pandan elderly couple who were Western Visayas’ first recorded Delta infections was “matagal na.”
The wife died on May 31 due to hypoximia secondary to pneumonia and the underlying cause of death was COVID-19 infection. The husband, meanwhile, recovered.
CaAdiao said she was also confused as to why Iloilo is under ECQ while Antique is under the lighter general community quarantine (GCQ).
“Gamiton mo tana ang two months ago nga variant sa Antique para i-kuon nga nag-ECQ ka? That’s very funny,” she stressed.
According to Cadiao, the report of the Department of Health (DOH) relative to the detection of the Delta variant “caused a lot of fear and has become sensationalized.”
“Tani gintago na lang sila kay anyway naayos na sia, kag naka-MGCQ (modified GCQ) na gani kami sang May,” the governor underscored.
Cadiao also added that the family of those infected by the Delta variant is currently appealing for privacy.
On the other hand, the Antique Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU) is currently doing backtracking and contact tracing.
The Delta variant, first detected in India, is more contagious than the original COVID-19 strain due to the presence of the L452R mutation, which allows the virus to get past the immune system and spread faster in cells.
‘DON’T PANIC, BE VIGILANT’
Cadiao advised Antiqueños to be extra watchful but don’t panic.
“The cases of the Delta variant happened in May. The following month of June, we have seen a decrease in the total active cases in the province. This goes to show that we have effectively managed the spread of COVID-19 in Antique, Delta variant or otherwise,” said Cadiao.
The recent uptick in cases, she stressed, could be attributed to the “massive contact tracing that our health workers have been doing as well as the operation of our bio-laboratory.”
Cadiao also pointed out that the province has been subjecting even the asymptomatic first layer contacts to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
“I urge the public to remain calm. Our PHO (Provincial Health Office) is exhausting all means to further contain and decrease our cases,” Cadiao said. “They have already ramped up the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate strategy. I personally direct our health workers to continue the massive contact tracing and testing.”
The governor also appealed for public cooperation to spare the province from further transmission.
Based on the PHO’s data as of July 17, Antique had 2,776 total confirmed coronavirus cases – 472 active, 2,178 recovered and 126 deaths.
The active cases were from the municipalities of: San Jose (149), Sibalom (39), Hamtic (35), Pandan (32), Belison ( 31), Tibiao (29), Anini-y (27), Bugasong (26), Culasi (23), Laua-an (17), Sebaste (15), Patnongon (13), San Remigio (10), Barbaza (seven), Libertad (seven), Valderrama (five), Caluya (four), and Tobias Fornier (three)./PN
