Iloilo City had recorded its first case of the Delta COVID-19 variant.
Iloilo City had recorded its first case of the Delta COVID-19 variant after more than two months of being placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on Thursday said in a statement that the infected 30-year-old man, who was unvaccinated for COVID-19, was under home quarantine along with his wife, who was also infected.
The couple’s two children, according to a report on Inquirer, had tested negative for COVID-19 and were staying with their relatives.
“I ordered to place the residence and workplace under lockdown. Extensive contact tracing and (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) testing for the patient’s co-workers will also be conducted. As this is a Delta variant case, we will transfer the case to a separate quarantine facility so we can fully monitor him,” Treñas said.
The Delta COVID-19 variant was considered more transmissible than the original COVID-19 strain and was believed to have triggered renewed surges of coronavirus cases in some countries.
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The said patient had tested positive for COVID-19 last July 9. According to the statement, the said patient had reported no travel history and no close contact in his workplace.
Samples from the said patient were sent to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) for sequencing because of the high viral load. The city epidemiology and surveillance unit received the results last Thursday.
“We assure you that the city government has put in place measures to handle the Delta variant. We just ask for everyone’s cooperation as we are doing everything we can to contain its possible spread, including aggressive contact tracing and intensified testing,” Treñas said.
Iloilo City had been under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) since May 23 because of a surge in coronavirus cases and a high utilization rate of COVID-19 hospital beds and other facilities.
However, business groups and the city government have appealed for a lower quarantine level, citing the prolonged crippling effects on the economy.
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