Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce III on Saturday said they are tracing the close contacts of the two Delta variant cases identified in the municipality.
The Department of Health (DOH) announced Friday that Pateros has two cases of the highly contagious variant of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Ponce confirmed it during a live broadcast on Facebook Friday, saying “Our Department of Health confirmed to me yesterday that we really now have the Delta variant in Pateros.”
According to the DOH, besides Pateros, all local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila now have Delta variant cases.
“The DOH communicated and confirmed to us the presence of the Delta variant in our town. These cases tested positive [for COVID-19) in early July and these were isolated. But we are now intensifying contact tracing of the route of these two who tested for the Delta variant. We are closely monitoring this because we know that this (variant) is the scariest,” said Ponce.
Ponce surmised that the Delta variant cases in Pateros are the cause of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the municipality and perhaps in Metro Manila.
As of Aug. 4, Pateros’ total active COVID-19 cases jumped to 207 from 65 last July 28, or an increase of 218.46 percent, out of 4,992 confirmed cases, 4,718 recoveries and 67 deaths.
During an online media briefing Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Pateros and Malabon are at the critical risk levels based on two-week growth rates (TWGR) and average daily attack rate (ADAR) on COVID-19 cases.
The DOH reported 116 new Delta variant cases recorded on Aug. 4 and 119 cases on Aug. 5, bringing the country’s total to 450, of which 12 are active cases, 428 have recovered, nine have died and one for verification.