DELTA variant cases in Eastern Visayas have climbed to 66, following the additional 15 cases reported on Monday, September 27, 2021.

The regional health department said that all the identified cases “are considered to be locally transmitted since the persons involved do not have any recent travel record outside the country.”

The cases include 14 of the Beta variant or B.1.351 first identified in South Africa, and one case of the highly transmissible Delta variant or the B.1.6.1.7 lineage first identified in India.

The 14 Beta variant cases are from Borongan City (2), San Policarpo (2), Calbiga (4), Dagami (1), Palo (1), MacArthur (1), Naval (1), and Maripipi (2).

While the Delta variant case is from Borongan.

The regional health department has urged for active case monitoring, surveillance, and contact tracing up to the third generation of all confirmed cases to control and contain any possible case of further transmission.

The department also aggressively pushed for vaccination efforts in the region.

As of Monday, a total of 581,641 individuals have received their first dose while 510,955 are fully vaccinated.

“The institution reaffirms that as vaccination efforts are escalated, the public is reminded that vaccines are effective in reducing morbidity and mortality due to coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which will be very instrumental in the institution’s primary goal of saving lives,” the health department added. (SunStar Philippines)