Delta variant traced to construction workers in Bataan

MARIVELES, Bataan—The more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 in this province was traced to workers of a construction company contracted by an investment firm at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), authorities said Tuesday, July 27. The workers indicated Orion town as their address during the swab tests since the construction company that hired them holds office in Orion, the Inquirer learned. But the company’s project site is inside the FAB in this town. Orion Mayor Antonio Raymundo said the six workers were immediately quarantined but have already recovered from the disease. It was not immediately known how the workers got infected with the Delta variant that originated from India. Last week, Gov. Albert Garcia said six cases of Delta variant were initially detected in the province, citing a report from the Department of Health. Dr. Rosanna Buccahan, provincial health officer, said in a news briefing Monday that it would take time to identify the other possible Delta variant patients in the province. Mariveles Mayor Jocelyn Castaneda said the spike in the number of other COVID-19 cases in the town could also be attributed to  “authorized persons outside residence” and mishandling of virus-infected patients. INQ

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