A signage that warns people about the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant is seen posted at the entrance of Pasay City General Hospital in P. Burgos Street, Pasay City on August 12, 2021.
RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 Delta variant infections in the country increased to 3,387 after the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 21 additional cases from “retrospective” samples.
Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said 21 Delta variant cases were detected from the 749 samples collected from April to June 2021.
“These are retrospective samples because we wanted to complete our biosurveillance activities…These are retrospective samples from April to June 2021, that is why you might be wondering why Delta variant has a low number,” she told reporters in an online media briefing.
“Hindi pa siya nakakalat noon dito sa atin during that time that the samples were taken,” she added.
(The variant has not yet spread that much during the time that the samples were taken.)
Aside from the Delta variant cases, 288 cases of the COVID-19 Alpha variant and 309 cases of the COVID019 Beta variant were also detected.
On Sunday, the Philippines logged 13,273 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s case count to 2,593,399 nationwide.