No active Delta variant cases have been monitored but the Department of Health (DOH) it has begun tracing persons who may have contact with them.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told the virtual ''Laging Handa'' forum that two persons have died while the other 33 cases have recovered.

''We have no active cases,'' said Vergeire. She said the DOH wants to find out how these persons had been infected with the Delta variant.

Sixteen new Delta variant of COVID-19 cases were announced by the Department of Health Friday. One person died while 15 recovered.

Vergeire said a person can be infected by the Delta variant '' in seconds''.

''We are checking if the one who died in Antique had the Delta variant,'' Vergeire said after Ma. Sophia Pulmones of the Western Visayas Center for Health Development reported earlier in the same forum that a fatality had the variant.

Vergeire added that DOH wants to find out if the second fatality, who is based in Manila, was vaccinated.

She added that the DOH may do genome sequencing on areas where surges of COVID-19 are being experienced.

''We are looking at doing genome secquencing of areas where there are surges,'' said Vergeire. DMS