CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 18 Aug) – Northern Mindanao has new six cases of the highly infectious Delta variant detected from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients from Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, and Iligan City.
Vaccination in Cagayan de Oro City continues as COVID-19 cases rise with the discovery of more Delta variant cases in the city and in Region 10. MindaNews file photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
Region 10 now has a total documented Delta variant cases of 32, after Cagayan de Oro’s 25 and one case in Gingoog, also of Misamis Oriental.
Dr. David Mendoza, Department of Health – Region 10 assistant director, said there were two new cases in Misamis Oriental: a locally stranded individual (LSI) in Alubijid town but originally from the municipality of Magsaysay, and another case from Tagoloan, a town adjacent to Cagayan de Oro.
Mendoza said a returning overseas Filipino (ROF) from Tudela in Misamis Occidental was also found to have been infected with the Delta variant, and yet another in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon.
He said two Delta variant cases were also found in Iligan City.
The detection of two Delta variant cases in Iligan City prompted authorities to tighten its border and impose stricter quarantine measures in the city.
Dr. Belinda Lim, Iligan City Health Officer, said the first of the two Delta variant case is a 29-year-old employee of the Quezon City government who went home last July 16.
After showing some symptoms, Lim said the employee was swabbed and was found to be COVID-19 positive four days later.
The employee also infected his father, two sisters, two brothers, a nephew and a family friend.
Lim said the employee and the family friend were tested positive of the infectious Delta variant by the Philippine Genome Center.
Lim said because the results came late, the employee was released from the isolation unit and have returned to Quezon City last July 28 after he later tested negative of the COVID-19 virus.
She said the other Delta patient is currently isolated in his home after showing no symptoms.
The discovery of the Delta variant cases came as a shock to Iligan City, which has moderate cases reported.
In its briefer, the DOH Region 10 reported there were 80 new COVID-19 cases in Iligan on August 17. The same report said there were three deaths on that day.
On the other hand, the DOH reported a spike of COVID-19 cases in Lanao del Norte with 334 cases reported on August 17.
Iligan City information officer Jose Pantoja said Mayor Celso Regencia issued Executive Order No. 192 requiring returning Iligan residents to present negative antigen or RT-PCR tests at the border checkpoints.
Pantoja said non-residents entering Iligan City are required to present cards that they are already fully vaccinated.
He said Regencia also temporarily suspended until further notice the sale of liquor and alcoholic beverages in the city restaurants and bars.
Pantoja said curfew hours start from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)