Beta variant cause of COVID-19 community transmission in Zamboanga City —mayor

The Beta variant of the coronavirus caused the COVID-19 community transmission in Zamboanga City, Mayor Beng Climaco said.

The variant was first spotted in South Africa.

Climaco said Zamboanga City is under modified enhanced community quarantine until June 15, but they asked the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to extend it until June 30, according to a report on News TV Live on Saturday.

The mayor said the occupancy rate in their ICUs is still at the critical level.

The city has also been having a daily average of 50 infections and five deaths.

As of June 11, Zamboanga City has recorded 10,842 total confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of this number, 847 are active; 9,537 recovered; and 458 died. 

Visayas and Mindanao healthcare capabilities have been increased to accommodate more patients amid a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases in the two major regions in the country, a Department of Health (DOH) official said Friday.

In a briefing, Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama Jr. of the DOH Field Implementation and Coordination Team in the Visayas and Mindanao said both public and private hospitals have been ordered to increase by 50% their health facilities' beds dedicated to COVID-19 cases. —KG, GMA News