THE Provincial Health Office (PHO) in Eastern Samar has confirmed the local transmission of the Delta variant of Sars-CoV-2 in Borongan City, a top official said Monday, August 2, 2021.

“I am, therefore, reiterating my urgent appeal to all our kababayans, especially in Borongan, to take extra precautions by strictly following all health protocols,” said Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, citing a report from PHO.

In a Facebook post, the governor said 11, with four first and then seven second generation contacts of a Delta variant carrier, were tested in the past few days and the results came out positive.

He said the protocol now is that all active positive cases in Borongan are considered Delta variant.

“Wear face mask and face shields. Avoid social and mass gathering,” he said.

Eastern Samar has reported 3,435 total confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), with 3,026 total recoveries, 85 total deaths, and 324 total active cases, as of Monday, August 2.

The Provincial Government also “expressed condolences to the bereaved families” over the two Covid-19 deaths reported on Monday.

The patients who died were from Borongan and Hernani. The patient from Borongan died on August 1, while the one from Hernani died last Friday, July 30.

The two deaths have still to be determined whether they were directly caused by Covid-19, according to the PHO.

Meanwhile, Eastern Samar has continued its vaccination activities amid the Covid-19 cases.

As of Monday, August 2, the total number of vaccinated individuals in the province has reached 43,511 for those who have received their first dose and 29,138 for those who got their second dose. (SunStar Philippines)