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The Department of Health conducted another tests to those who were locally infected with COVID-19 Delta variant and found some remained positive, an official said on Monday.

Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a televised press briefing, said those who continued to be positive for Delta variant have been isolated.

"We were able to identify in the local cases that there are still who remained active and we have tested them already and we have quarantined them already," she said.

DOH has said there were 35 local cases of Delta variant in the country, including the 16 that were announced last Friday. Of the 16, 11 were local cases and five were returning overseas Filipinos. Of the total cases, three were confirmed dead.

Vergeire said the last confirmed fatality was a 78-year old female who was also part of the local cases and died last May 30.

"So, there were three deaths and the rest, the 33, some of them were already tagged as recovered. But now upon verification, apparently we have seen that there were still some positive in their samples and we will give the information in the coming days," she said.

She did not discount the possibility that Delta variant could be spreading without being detected due to limitation in the genomic surveillance.

"Because as we have said, we do purposive sampling, we're getting the samples from places where there are high (COVID-19) cases. So, there is a possibility that we may not have detected (the infection) in areas where we did not get the samples," she said.

But she reiterated the call to the people to continue to follow the health protocols and to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.

Vergeire said the government is trying to increase the capacity in genome sequencing, which is at 750 samples being tested per week.

She said the government has been conducting the procurement process for additional extraction machines for the Philippine Genome Center in order to double the capacity to 1,500 per week.

"Also, we are expanding through our sub-national laboratories to increase their capacity so that they can also do genome sequencing, and the Philippine Genome Center is now extending the capacity to their Visayas and Mindanao University of the Philippines Network," she said.

Vergeire said there is no identified local Delta variant case in Taguig City.

She said the one reported from Taguig was a returning overseas Filipino, who was quarantined in the city, and one among those cases from MV Athens.

"But the permanent residence of this returning overseas Filipino is from Taguig that's why the City of Taguig made a report. But the person is not included in our local cases," she added.

According to the Health department, Delta variant is more infectious as it could be transmitted up to eight persons in just one sitting. Celerina Monte/DMS