Delta variant detected in Taguig ‘never set foot’ in city

MANILA – The Taguig local government said on Monday that the resident who acquired the coronavirus Delta variant case in May never set foot in the city until declared recovered.

The carrier was an overseas Filipino worker who was confirmed Delta-positive while undergoing the mandatory quarantine, the city said in a statement.

The city government assured the patient was not discharged from quarantine until cleared of the dreaded virus.

“The patient was not released from quarantine until he recovered and was never able to set foot in Taguig while he was still infected with the virus,” the city explained further.

Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified that the Delta variant case detected in Taguig was not a local infection.

“Wala po tayong na-detect na local case sa Taguig. What the city of Taguig was mentioning was a returning overseas Filipino na na-detect ng variant at ang kanyang permanent residence is in Taguig (We don’t have a detected case yet in Taguig. What the city of Taguig was mentioning was a returning overseas Filipino with the Delta variant is a permanent resident in Taguig),” Vergeire said during a radio interview.

Prior to the emergence of the Delta variant in the country, the city government said it has established the Special Task Group Delta Force in preparation for possible local transmissions.

Dr. Jun Sy, head of the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, said none of those who had to undergo genome testing was found to have the Delta variant.

“We continue to remain vigilant and implement the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate strategy against all variants to ensure the continued protection of Taguigeños,” Sy said told the reporters in a Viber message.