THE Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), was first detected in India in October 2020.
The most transmissible of the variants identified so far, it has now been found in 135 countries, including the Philippines.
Health officials said it has been detected in nine out of 17 regions and government response is based on the assumption that there is already community transmission, as indicated by soaring cases and rising hospitalizations.
Three months since its first appearance in the country, it is now responsible for some 450 cases nationwide.
April 27, 2021
The Philippines bans travelers from India in an attempt to delay the entry of the Delta variant.
May 6, 2021
Travel ban on India is extended to its neighboring countries Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Foreign vessel MV Athens Bridge, which came from India, seeks refuge in the Philippines because 12 of its Filipino crew were sick with Covid-19.
May 11, 2021
The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) is detected in the Philippines.
The first two Delta cases in the Philippines are two returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), a 37-year-old male who arrived in the Philippines from Oman on April 10 and a 58-year-old male who arrived in the Philippines from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on April 19. Both had no travel history to India and both arrived before any travel restrictions were imposed.
May 14, 2021
Travel ban is expanded to include Oman and UAE, and extended until May 31. Restrictions on Oman were imposed almost one month after the first Delta case entered the Philippines.
May 15, 2021
The DOH reports 10 Delta variant cases, including nine Filipino crew from MV Athens Bridge, bringing the total Delta cases in the country to 12. The 12th case is an ROF who arrived in the Philippines from Belgium via United Arab Emirates on April 24.
May 24, 2021
Philippines reports first death caused by Delta, a 63-year-old male who was one of the nine crew members of MV Athens Bridge.
May 29, 2021
The DOH reports one additional Delta variant case, an ROF from the UAE with an indicated address in the Cordillera Administrative Region, bringing total cases in the country to 13.
June 1, 2021
Travel restrictions on seven countries are extended until June 15 to prevent entry of additional Delta variants.
June 21, 2021
The DOH reports the detection of four additional Delta variant cases, all of whom are returning overseas Filipinos. This brings the total number of Delta cases to 17.
July 6, 2021
Two more ROF Delta cases are reported, raising total Delta cases in the country to 19. They have a travel history to Saudi Arabia and arrived in the Philippines on May 29, 2021.
July 14, 2021
The Philippines bans travelers from Indonesia and extends restrictions on other countries due to Delta variant until July 31.
July 16, 2021
The Philippines detects the first local cases of the Delta variant.
Health authorities detect 16 more Delta cases, including 11 local cases. The 16 new cases brought the total cases of Delta in the country to 35. The 11 local cases are in Northern Mindanao (6), Western Visayas (2), National Capital Region or NCR (2), Central Luzon (1).
July 19, 2021
Deaths due to Delta variant increase to three, as DOH confirms 2 local cases had died.
July 22, 2021
Twelve more Delta variant cases, all local, bring total cases in the country to 47. The new cases are in Central Luzon (6), NCR (3), Calabarzon (2) and Bicol Region (1).
July 23, 2021
Government confirms local transmission of Delta variant, expands travel ban to include Malaysia and Thailand.
July 24, 2021
Of the 17 new Delta variant cases reported, 12 are local cases. The total number of Delta cases is now 64. The local cases had addresses in the NCR (9) and Calabarzon (3).
July 25, 2021
The Philippines detects 55 more Delta cases, bringing total Delta cases to 119. Thirty-seven of the new cases are local cases: Calabarzon (14), Northern Mindanao (8), National Capital Region (6), Central Luzon (6), and for the first time--Davao Region (2) and Ilocos Region (1).
July 29, 2021
The Delta variant is detected in Central Visayas, all in Cebu.
Ninety-six additional Delta cases bring total Delta cases in the country to 215. Of the 97 new Delta cases, 88 are local cases. Of the 88 cases, 32 cases are in Central Visayas, all of them in Cebu: Lapu-Lapu City (19), Cebu City (6), Mandaue City (3), and two each from Cordova and Samboan towns. The Cebu cases range in age from one year old to 61 years old. The Cordova cases were later revealed to have died.
July 30, 2021
Some 116 Delta cases are detected, 95 of which are local cases found in seven regions: NCR (83), Central Visayas (4), Calabarzon (3), Davao Region (2), Zamboanga Peninsula (1), Cagayan Valley (1) and Ilocos Region (1). All cases are tagged as recovered.
The total Delta variant cases in the country is now 331, with nine deaths and 11 active cases.
Aug. 6, 2021
An additional 119 Delta cases are detected, bringing total cases to 450, with nine deaths and 12 active cases. Of the new Delta cases, 93 are local cases: National Capital Region (18), Western Visayas (31), Central Luzon (18), Calabarzon (14), Northern Mindanao (8), Central Visayas (1), Eastern Visayas (1), Zamboanga Peninsula (1) and Cordillera Administrative Region (1).
The Department of Health says the Delta variant has now been detected in all of the NCR or Metro Manila's 16 cities and one municipality.