THERE is a growing concern about the rising number of cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus. On August 6, the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) released the report informing the public that there are 31 additional cases of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in Western Visayas.
In previous reports, the national government imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila from August 5 to 20. A kind of quarantine classification is deemed to be fit to the situation according to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). It could be a preemptive measure to avert damages should situations get worse.
The information on the Delta variant is not new because the government made early pronouncements with reference to the experience of countries like India and Indonesia.
Studies suggest that this Delta variant is highly contagious or simply, could spread rapidly compared with other variants. There are also reports that this triggered the many deaths in India and has caused the scarcity of oxygen supply.
Recent reports in Manila confirmed that there are cases of the Delta in all cities of Metro Manila and hospitals are starting to reach high occupancy levels.
The DOH in Western Visayas alerted everyone on this Delta variant and has directed local government units to closely monitor the cases and the condition of those affected. The health agency wished to lower the figures, which means that we hope to stop transmissions as indicated in the number of positive cases detected every day. As per information, we appreciate the reported number of cases though it should not warrant our peoples’ complacency.
Because of the implementation of ECQ in Iloilo, I wish it should be cleared that there is a threat to the Covid-19 situation in Iloilo and more with the transmission of the Delta variant. It follows that Bacolod government should also respond in a way that deals with a kind of situation in Iloilo, otherwise, we could soon be the next problematic area for the Delta variant.
This could be another time that government needs to show a strong message that we knew the situation will get worse and out of control, should we relax and allow movements of people. Time and again, it is about choices at this time of the pandemic. We could easily conclude that once government implements something, some sectors would oppose and question the government’s action.
Just like the situation of the national IATF-EID before deciding on whether to impose lockdown measures in Metro Manila at the start of the Delta infections, the economic aspect was also the main consideration. Secretary Roque announced that there is discussion among members of the IATF before finally deciding on moving to ECQ. The decision to put NCR in lockdown may also be unpopular considering that people need to go out and work every day. But the government is left with the option of whether to act proactively or wait first and see the situation before making important actions. By then the government would become reactionary and we don’t know what’s going to happen next given the nature of the Delta variant.
In the local, Bacolod and Negros Occidental remain Delta-free. We take exception to situations from that of our neighbor province, Negros Oriental, which has just been lifted from the ECQ, while hard lockdown is imposed in Iloilo City and its province.
We just wish we can maintain the status of being Delta-free, but with the continuing mobility of people, it would not be far that soon, we could also have our local case.
As I have been a part of the campaign to fight this Covid-19, I have been conscious of the limitations of our people guarding our coastlines. While they are still awake or on duty, maybe they could guard our shores, but until when we could truly watch our coastlines from movements of people from other areas of the region? I am sure they couldn’t stay awake for the next 24-hours.
I am reminded of the manual way of searching for cases of Delta in our areas. Or simply, it is tracking those who have been suspected to have interaction with someone confirmed positive of the variant. Contact-tracing then is the best method where specimens will be taken for genome sequencing at the Philippine Genome Center in Manila. Before the result will be known, the Delta could have already spread.
As in the announcement of DOH Region 6, the samples were sent to PGC on July 23 and we got the result only on August 6. We hope that nobody had been infected with the Delta days after July 23 up to today.