CASES of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) show no let-up in Eastern Visayas following the 358 new cases and one new death that were recorded on Thursday, August 19, 2021.

The 358 new cases were recorded out of 1,350 laboratory samples, representing a 26 percent positivity rate.

According to the regional health department, the new cases were from Tacloban City (32), Ormoc City (50), Leyte province (104), Southern Leyte (50), Eastern Samar (6), Northern Samar (77), Samar (18), and Biliran (21).

The new Covid-related fatality was identified as EV38680, a 30-year-old male from Kawayan, Biliran who died on August 14.

As of Thursday, the region’s total number of Covid-19 cases was at 39,096, with total recoveries at 37,216 (95.19 percent) and total deaths at 442 (1.13 percent), bringing the total active cases to 1,438 (3.68 percent).

On Wednesday, August 18, the regional health department also reported one additional case of the Delta variant or the B.1.617 lineage, which was first identified in India.

The patient is a returning overseas Filipino (ROF) from Kawayan, Biliran.

He had travel history in countries like Egypt, Italy, and Japan.

“Therefore, the institution is making it clear to the public that this is not a locally transmitted case,” the regional health department said.

The patient initially tested positive for coronavirus while he was in Manila, but he was able to complete his mandatory 10-day isolation.

He was discharged from his isolation facility on August 4 without any display of signs or symptoms of the virus.

According to the regional health department, the ROF traveled via local airline bound for the province of Biliran through the Tacloban DZR Airport.

“Consequently, the identified ROF was still in isolation, as per local government unit protocol for returning overseas Filipino workers, when the result of the genome sequencing yielded positive for the said highly transmissible variant of concern,” it said.

As this developed, the regional health surveillance team has identified close contacts up to the third generation and conducted swab tests, including the identified index case. (SunStar Philippines)