DILG chief Año tests negative of Covid-19

FILE: Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año in Quezon City on Friday (August 9, 2019). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said he now tested negative for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Año said he undergone a second Covid-19 test on April 8 and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) released the result on Monday.

“Nag negative na test ko sa RITM (My test results at RITM was negative). I received it today. I was tested last April 8,” he said in a message to Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Año said he continue to discharge his duties and responsibilities despite on home quarantine, participating in the meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infections Diseases (IATF-EID) through teleconferencing.

“Konting (Still few) days for quarantine pa as part of the protocol just to be safe,” he said.

Año initially went on 14-day home quarantine on March 26 after ACT-CIS party list Rep. Eric Yap announced he tested positive for Covid-19.

He and Yap attended a meeting in Malacañang on March 21. The RITM later said Yap’s test was actually negative.

He also had been in contact with four people who tested positive for Covid-19, including Armed Forces chief Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., who recovered from the virus last April 5 when re-test came out negative.

Año said he underwent test on March 27 and got the result, confirming he is Covid-19 positive on March 31.

He said the result of his test will not dampen his spirit and energy to perform his job as one of the officials of the IATF-EID tasked to combat the deadly virus.

Año urged the people he had contact with to follow the Department of Health (DOH) guidelines on self-quarantine.