Health authorities in North Cotabato have urged the public to intensify self-restriction to further contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) after a Delta variant was detected in the province.
Dr. Eva Rabaya, the provincial health chief, said Thursday the patient, a male senior citizen from Aleosan town, has already recovered from the disease.
“The patient was infected with Covid-19 in July this year but it was only on Wednesday (Sept. 1) that the Department of Health–Region 12 informed us through genome sequencing in Manila that it was of the Delta variant,” Rabaya said.
While the patient has recovered, he agreed to remain in the isolation facility for 15 more days to complete the healing process.
She said all the 25 persons who had close contact with the patient have been identified, quarantined, and repeatedly swabbed to ensure they are safe from the virus.
“We are still determining where the Delta virus was acquired by the principal patient since he was reported to have travel history to Cagayan de Oro City,” Rabaya said in a radio interview here.
She said additional contact tracing is ongoing based on the data obtained.
“Unless necessary, the public is advised to stay at home than move around, especially in public places,” she said.
Dr. Philbert Malaluan, a member of the North Cotabato provincial board, said the province has 1,244 active cases to date.
Since March last year, he said the province has registered a cumulative total of 5,436 Covid-19 recoveries from 7,008 confirmed cases for a 78 percent recovery rate. The death toll from the virus stands at 324.
Source: Philippines News Agency