DOH: Delta variant found in all Metro Manila areas
AS the capital region marked its first day back under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reported that the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has been detected in all Metro Manila areas.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 83 of the 116 newly reported Delta variant cases came from Metro Manila.
“All National Capital Region areas now have a local Delta case,” she said.
Pateros and Malabon were also classified as critical-risk areas for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their high moving two-week case growth rate, moving average daily attack rate and bed occupancy rate.
All other areas in Metro Manila were classified as high-risk except for Caloocan and Marikina, which were categorized as moderate risk.
Aside from Pateros and Malabon, Quezon City also registered a high bed utilization rate of 71.32 percent as of August 4.
Areas with a high-risk intensive care unit utilization rate were Quezon City, San Juan, Makati, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas.
DOH has placed eight areas in Metro Manila under Alert Level 4 over rising COVID-19 transmission and a high bed utilization rate.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said the other newly reported local Delta variant cases were from Regions 1, 2, 4A, 7, 9 and 11. One is a returning overseas Filipino and 20 other cases are still undergoing verification.
Earlier, DOH said all 116 new cases have recovered from COVID-19, but their current status is being verified again.
Fifty-five percent or 64 of the new infections are male, and all cases belonged to the 5 to 79 years old age group.
Authorities are still confirming the vaccination status of the latest Delta variant cases.
In a related development, the Lung Center of the Philippines is nearing full capacity of its COVID-19 beds, a hospital executive said Friday as he described the situation as a “surge.”
Dr. Randy Castillo, the hospital’s emergency room and COVID-19 Triage Task Force chief, said 80 to 90 out of the 110 COVID-19-dedicated beds at the Lung Center are currently occupied, prompting the reopening and adding of more COVID-19 wards.
“Presently, we are nearing our maximum capacity when it comes to patient occupancy rate. As of this morning, our occupancy rate for COVID-related beds or admissions is around 90 percent already and for the critical units, around 90 percent,” Castillo said.
“This is in comparison to the 40 percent to 50 percent occupancy rate that our hospital had the past months when COVID cases were less,” he added.
On top of this, Castillo said, more suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients have been seeking medical consultation at the Lung Center’s emergency room and triage area.
Despite the rise in admissions, Castillo said the Lung Center is still accepting moderate, severe and critical COVID-19 patients.
He added that the hospital will open a facility by August or September to cater to about 100 COVID-19 patients.
DOH earlier said Lung Center was among the four big hospitals in Metro Manila that would receive additional intensive care unit beds amid the threat of the Delta variant.
The country has detected 331 Delta variant cases as of August 4.
The two-week strict lockdown of Metro Manila began early Friday morning to curb the spread of the Delta variant.
