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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 07 August) — The City Health Office here confirmed the first case of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 but said the patient has recovered.
City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Ann Miravite said the index case, along with 14 other crew members of an inter-island vessel arrived in the city on July 2, and were immediately swabbed as they exhibited signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
The vessel came from Cebu City.
The RT-PCR test results came out July 4. Twelve of them tested positive for COVID-19.
Samples of their specimen were sent by the Department of Health Zamboanga Peninsula region for whole genome sequencing at the Philippine Genome Center in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
The results were released on August 5, one of them found with a Delta variant.
“The index case has already recovered. He was immediately isolated in a facility, given treatment and has already completed quarantine,” Miravite said.
The CHO heightened its vaccination program’s coverage, reaching the islands, and continues to intensify its campaigns, testing, and contact tracing.
(Frencie Carreon / MindaNews)