MANILA – There could be a cluster of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases caused by the Delta variant in the province of Antique, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
According to Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, a returning overseas Filipino came home due to a parent’s death.
“There was one person (from Antique) who attended the wake and infected other people,” Vergeire said in a virtual presser on July 23.
Two cases of COVID-19 Delta variant were detected in Pandan, Antique two weeks ago. One passed away (the wife), while the other (the husband) recovered.
Vergeire, in a separate interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Friday, said the DOH was looking into how the Delta variant could have spread locally.
There could be a breach of protocol since all incoming travelers were required to undergo quarantine and COVID-19 testing regardless of their vaccination status, she stressed.
“Maybe there were breaches [in protocol]. Maybe there were no assessments when they were discharged. These are the things that we are assuming right now,” Vergeire said.
“Patuloy nating pag-aaralan lahat ito…so that we [would] be able to further improve ‘yung strategies na pinapatupad natin so that there won’t be breaches at ma-manage po natin at ma-control ang further spread of this infection,” she added.
The DOH on Thursday evening confirmed that there was already a local transmission of the Delta variant, after it found links between local Delta infections./PN
