(Eagle News) — Eight of the Delta variant cases reported in the country tested positive for the virus even after retesting.
Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said at the outset, these cases had been reported as recovered by their respective local government units because they already completed the required 14-day quarantine.
According to the Department of Health official, of the eight, four were detected in Cagayan de Oro, one in Manila, one in Misamis Oriental, and two are returning overseas Filipinos.
Vergeire said the eight were asymptomatic but will remain in isolation until they test negative for the virus.
“When we look closely at these cases, almost all of them have high CT (cycle threshold) value, indicating a low viral load and therefore most likely they are no longer infectious,” Vergeire said.
“But of course we would still like to be very sure that’s why they are now in quarantine pa rin po at binabantayan pa rin po natin sila,” she added.
Earlier, the DOH said 16 more Delta variant cases had been detected in the Philippines, bringing the total Delta variant cases detected to 35.
Of the 16, the DOH said 11 were local cases while the five were returning overseas Filipinos.
Of the 11, the DOH said two were in Metro Manila.
Taguig earlier reported a Delta variant case but the DOH clarified this was not a local case and was a returning overseas Filipino instead.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said the Philippines may have to impose stricter restrictions again due to the Delta variant, which the DOH has said could be up to 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant first detected in the United Kingdom.