Two of the 11 crewmen from the COVID- stricken tugboat docked in isolation off Sto. Domingo, Albay, were confirmed positive of Delta variant of COVID 19.
This was confirmed yesterday by the Department of Health -Bicol.
The highly contagious Delta variant or B.1.617 was first discovered in India in October, 2020.
5 test samples were sent to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), with two samples tested as positive of Delta variant.
The crew man came from Albay, while the other crewman came from CALABARZON.
The crewmen have no symptoms, but they are in isolation inside the tugboat docked 200 meters off Port of Lidong, Sto. Domingo.
According to DOH Bicol, it was first reported that 11 of the 19 crewmen were positive of COVID-19 when they underwent RTPCR test in Butuan City, CARAGA Region, after arriving from Indonesia.
The tugboat, MV Clyde, and Barge Claudia arrived in Albay from Butuan City on July 20.
Its last port call was Indonesia, carrying cargo bound for Bicol mainland, and made a stopover at Butuan City.