DOH detects 1st Lambda case, 182 more Delta cases

MANILA – Authorities have detected 182 additional cases of the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus, raising the total to 807, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Sunday.

In a statement, the DOH said that aside from the Delta variant, there were also new cases of the Alpha variant (41), Beta (66), Theta (40), and the first case of Lambda variant, based on the latest whole-genome sequencing report of the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health.

Of the 182, the 112 are local cases, 36 are returning overseas Filipino (ROFs), and 34 are being verified if they are local or ROF cases.

One is still active, 176 have been tagged as recovered, four died, and one case is being verified.

Of the 112 local cases, 42 cases had indicated addresses in the National Capital Region, 36 cases are from Central Luzon, eight cases from Calabarzon, six cases from Mimaropa, six cases from Northern Mindanao, four from Central Visayas, three from Davao Region, three in Caraga, two in Western Visayas, and one case each in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Other details are being validated by regional and local health offices.

“Upon verification, it was determined that two cases that were initially tagged as Delta cases from NCR last Aug. 4 were Beta variant cases,” the DOH said.

Meanwhile, of the new 41 Alpha variant cases, 38 were local cases, one is an ROF, and two are being verified.

Two have died, 36 recovered, and three are being verified.

To date, cases of the Alpha variant, first detected in the United Kingdom, are at 2,232.

For the 66 new Beta variant cases, 56 are local cases and 10 cases are being verified as either local or ROF cases. Two have died, 63 recovered, and one outcome is under verification.

The Lambda variant case is a 35-year-old female but is still unknown if it is a local or ROF case.

She was asymptomatic and tagged as recovered after undergoing the 10-day isolation period.

The DOH is currently conducting back tracing the contacts.

The Lambda variant, first identified in Peru in August 2020, was classified as a Variant of Interest by the World Health Organization on June 14, 2021.

The DOH reiterated to the public that strict adherence to the minimum public health standards, strengthened Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate strategy, and vaccination are effective regardless of any variant of concern.