MANILA – Several senators and government officials have undergone self-quarantine following their interactions with some confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay were the first to announce their self-quarantine on Wednesday evening following their exposure to a resource person during the March 5 hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.
“Though I am asymptomatic and feel healthy, I will follow government set protocols on such cases and go into self-quarantine immediately given that I interacted with the said individual during that committee hearing,” Gatchalian said.
“With close to 50 people already been tested positive, it only shows that the exposure to the virus is real, and there’s a high chance that someone out there is a carrier,” Binay said.
Other senators who announced their self-quarantine were Panfilo Lacson, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Francis Pangilinan, and Frankling Drilon.
Neophyte senator Christopher “Bong” Go, meanwhile, said that he will join President Rodrigo Duterte in COVID-19 checkup following their exposure to people the past few days.
Cabinet members in Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade are also going on self-quarantine after they interacted with people who have the viral disease.
Also undergoing self-quarantine were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vince Dizon, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Ben Diokno, Build, Build, Build Chair Anna Mae Lamentillo and Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
Davao City mayor and Presidential daughter Sara Duterte Carpio as went on self-quarantine following her recent meeting with Gatchalian as well as Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno and Navotas City Mayor Tobias Tiangco.
As precautionary measure, the Senate and Malacañang Palace as well as other government offices were on lockdown on Thursday for disinfection procedures./PN