DAVAO CITY, July 26 (PIA)-- The dreaded COVID-19 Delta variant is now in Davao City as confirmed by the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force.

In a statement released today (July 26), the confirmed case of the Delta variant was traced to a 28-year old female who was swabbed on June 26 after exposure to a confirmed symptomatic C0VID-19 case at her workplace.

The Davao City Health Office received the confirmatory results of the surveillance test from the Philippine Genome Center on July 24.

The patient has completed the required period of 14 days and has since recovered. Before her exposure, the case has received her first dose of anti-COVID-19 vaccine and three days after her isolation, the second dose of the vaccine.

The Davao City Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit of the City Health Office will conduct reinvestigation, repeat testing, and isolation in coordination with the Department of Health Davao Region up to the third generation contacts of the case.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said they will still the same action plan with the confirmation of the Delta variant in the city.

“We still need to do all the testing that we do, [those with] ILI (Influenza-like illness) nato, F1-F2-F3 surveillance testing, and then active case finding.” The Mayor said.

Aside from Davao City, a Delta variant case was also confirmed in Tagum City by their City Health Officer Dr. Arnel Florendo on July 24.

The Delta variant known as B.1.617.2, can spread more easily to humans as mutations on the spike protein allows the virus to infect human cells much easier. This variant has been known to cause the surges in India and Indonesia.

Health authorities said that strict adherence to minimum health standards is needed to help prevent the spread of the variant. Vaccination also helps in protecting patients from severe illness or death.  (PIA/RG Alama)