MANILA – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Felimon Santos Jr. has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), announced Department of National Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
According to Lorenzana yesterday, he was informed by Santos himself of the test result.
Lorenzana said he would observe self-quarantine after having close contact with the AFP official recently.
“I have no symptoms but protocol says I have to self-quarantine for 14 days,” said Lorenzana. “I got close to him (Santos) on two recent occasions – during the turnover of medical supplies to me on March 21 and again on March 22 here in general headquarters and at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang.”
Santos said earlier this week he had placed himself under home quarantine after he found out about the positive COVID-19 test result of a senior officer whom he had come in contact with.
His quarantine was supposed to last until March 27.
Meanwhile, a Department of Education schools division official in Mandaluyong City tested positive for COVID-19. The patient is currently confined in an undisclosed hospital.
The Education department said the official attended competition events at the National Festival of Talents or NFOT held in Iligan City, Isabela from March 9 to 13. Thousands of public and private school students participated in the said national event.
“As he visited some competition events at the NFOT, we also checked on updates of our precautionary home quarantine of NFOT and NSPC (National Schools Press Conference) delegates,” DepEd said.
It added: “Overall we have monitored a small number of participants that were classified as PUI (persons under investigation), but there is no link that can be established to the patient.”
DepEd also said the patient’s colleagues were not showing respiratory symptoms.
Based on the latest count from the Department of Health, the Philippines has a total of 707 confirmed cases, 45 deaths, and 28 recoveries./PN
