The Department of Health (DOH) is assuming that the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country is caused by the Delta variant.

In a virtual town hall forum conducted on Wednesday, Alethea De Guzman of DOH said the health department is working on an assumption that Delta variant is behind the rise in COVID-19 cases.

"We're still collecting strong evidence to say there is community transmission but we cannot wait for that we are working for the assumption that the cases that were seeing with or without full genome sequencing may already be delta variant cases," said de Guzman, who heads the DOH's epidemology bureau.

"Our indicators are really showing that cases are rising and so we really need to act now and we need to work synergistically so that we can prevent the negative impact of Delta," she added.

De Guzman said "the impact of Delta variant is now observed nationally and in select regions and areas.''

"Given ongoing Delta variant of concern transmission, we need to immediately address observed case increases, closely monitor health care utilization and consider implementing higher community quarantine as pre-emptive measures to contain Delta variant of concern spread," she said.

Guzman noted that as of Aug. 3 , confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 1.6 million, "of which 3.92 percent are active and we have an accumulative case fatality rate of 1.75."

"Of our active cases, almost 97 percent had asymptomatic mild or moderate disease and more than three percent severe or critical disease," she added. Robina Asido/DMS