Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez on Friday July 16 urged the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to send a team to Cagayan de Oro (CDO) city to combat COVID-19 Delta variant.
The Cagayan de Oro lawmaker cited a Department of Health (DOH) reported that there are five local cases of COVID-19 Delta variant in his city, including one local case from Misamis Oriental as of today, July 16.
Earlier today, the IATF has placed CDO, along with Gingoog City, Iloilo City and Iloilo Province, under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) which is considered to be the strictest quarantine status in the Philippines.
It is beyond alarming to note that the five cases of Delta variant, the highest so far in any city or province, have been detected in Cagayan de Oro, Rodriguez said.
Of the total 11 local Delta variant cases in the Philippines detected today, five are from CDO.
The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, can spread more easily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Research says that it has mutations on the spike protein that make it easier for it to infect human cells. This means that people may be more contagious if they contract the virus and more easily spread it to others.
‘’I urge the IATF to send a team of experts on the Delta variant immediately to CDO to assist the LGU in implementing the proper steps to prevent the outbreak of the Delta variant in CDO,’’ Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also requested that more vaccines be re-directed and immediately sent to the CDO which is now the battleground of this Delta variant to protect the residents of CDO.
‘’In the exigency of the situation, I urge government authorities to strictly implement the quarantine measures to ensure safety of the general public. I call on every Kagay-anon to #StayHome and adhere to the guidelines and health protocols set by the IATF,’’ he stressed.
‘’It is in working together and acting with caution that we will be able to successfully defeat the COVID-19 pandemic,’’ he added.