House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook)
Secretary-General Jose Luis Montales confirmed on Friday that a House of Representative employee tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has been spreading throughout the country since the beginning of the year.
Montales who sent the text message to House employees, said that the staff who tested positive with COVID-19 works at the Printing Service office.
The Lower House staff was said to have no travel history and no known contact with an infected individual.
The employee was also said to have been in and out of the hospital and has several hospital confinements since November 2019 due to a lung ailment. However, the patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 only recently.
“To recall, our said employee has been in and out of the hospital since last year for various ailments. He was recently confined for community-acquired pneumonia,” said Montales.
The patient last reported for work in the House on March 3.
It was also reported that the patient has siblings who work in different parts of the chamber.
“In compliance with the protocols, we will require ALL personnel of the Printing Service to undergo self-quarantine,” Montales said in a message shared to reporters by ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Pineda.
It is unclear, however, if the employee will be added to the list of 52 COVID-19 patients confirmed in the country. Montales and the office of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said to wait for the announcement of the Department of Health (DOH)
A few House members are undergoing self-quarantine at present due to possible contact with infected individuals. The Senate is also under “restricted access” and all its hearings are currently on hold.
Several government offices were also temporarily closed down for disinfection and other precautionary measures against the threat of COVID-19.
On Thursday night, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a “community quarantine” on Metro Manila starting on March 15 until April 14, while classes and government offices will be suspended.