Nangangamba ang isang grupo ng mga eksperto dahil posible umanong nangyayari na ang community transmission ng Delta variant ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) sa Metro Manila.

Ikinatwiran ng grupo ang naitalang malaking porsyento ng kumpirmadong kaso ng nasabing variant sa National Capital Region.

“We understand that the Department of Health (DOH) is the official body. They are confirming the Delta variant cases through genome sequencing. But for us in OCTA, we are an independent group, we can say that based on statistics, based on sampling, the current tally of Delta variant cases has increased to 25 percent from 15 percent. Actually, it was only 2 percent to 3 percent a month ago,” paglalahad ni OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David sa isang panayam sa telebisyon.

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“Based on the 25 percent, we know that cases are still increasing. The increase in the Delta variant is accelerating because one week ago it was only 15 percent. If we follow the 25 percent, that means that the National Capital Region (NCR) on average has 300 new Delta variant cases per day. If there are 300 cases per day, we can say there is already community transmission,” aniya.

Gayunman, hindi na ipinaliwanag ni David kung pinalalalang Delta variant ang pagtaas ng kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa.

Nitong Sabado, Hulyo 31, inanunsyo ng DOH na aabot na sa 8,147 ang panibagong aktibong kaso ng COVID sa Plipinaskaya aabot na sa 1,588,965 ang kabuuang nahawan nito.

“Even if we don’t have a confirmationthat there is a Delta variant community transmission, it’s better to assume that there is community transmission so we can be doubly careful,” paglilinaw pa ni David.

Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz at Mary Ann Santiago