The presence of the highly infectious Delta variant of the Covid-19 has made an impact in the country as more than half of the provinces and highly urbanized and independent component cities had registered a surge in the number of cases as well as health care facility utilization, an official of the Department of Health said.

At Wednesday's 'town hall' meeting, Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Alethea de Guzman said local transmission of the variant necessitated the need to address the increase in cases and monitor the utilization rate of health care facilities, which were among the factors that prompted authorities to tighten community quarantine protocols.