An employee of the House of Representatives has tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease-2019, prompting the leadership to order a self-quarantine of all staff in the legislative chamber.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is expected to declare a two-week or longer holiday for all employees not only as a result of this development but also to heed the appeal of President Duterte who declared a lockdown in Metro Manila Thursday night.
“I just received word that an employee from our Printing Service tested positive for COVID-19. In compliance with the protocols, we will require all personnel of the Printing Service to undergo self-quarantine,” House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales said in a blast text message to all House members and employees past midnight yesterday.
Several sources, including congressmen, have said that the employee has siblings working in different departments of the chamber.
They revealed that the patient was first admitted to an undisclosed hospital last November 2019 and was diagnosed with a lung ailment.
Since then, the patient had a record of hospital confinement.
The COVID-19 diagnosis was determined only recently.
Montales said the Department of Health will start conducting contact tracing on all other persons, including employees of other department of the House of Representatives, who had been in contact with the employee. (Ben Rosario)