Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri has tested positive for novel coronavirus disease.
Zubiri confirmed last night that he tested positive for COVID-19, days after undergoing test. He was informed by no less than Health Secretary Francisco Duque.
“To my dear fellow Filipinos, my kababayans (countrymen). It is with sadness that I announce that I am positive for COVID-19. I had a test taken last Friday while on self quarantine and this afternoon I received a call from Secretary Duque on my condition,” Zubiri told reporters in a text message.
“My heart sank with what he had said but I’m uplifted with the fact that I am asymptomatic and have no fever or cough nor am I weak or have any headaches,” he added.
Zubiri last Wednesday, March 11, decided to voluntary subject himself to quarantine after finding out that one of the resource persons in a Senate hearing last March 5 was one of the COVID-19 patients earlier reported by the Department of Health.
Other senators have also subject themselves to self-quarantine, following the lead of Sens. Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay, who were present in the Senate hearing. The two are still waiting for their test results.
“My decision to self quarantine last Wednesday evening after session was the best decision I made and could have protected my family from contamination,” he said.
“As one of those very early on in the Senate who espoused and advocated for stronger government response on controlling COVID-19, I was very careful in my dealings with people at work in the Senate. I practiced social distancing as well as a no handshake policy but yet I got contaminated,” he lamented, on the other hand.
“How, I do not know. This just goes to show how easily this virus is spread and therefore it is best for everyone to stay home and stay clean,” he added.
Zubiri said he will continue to be “locked in isolation” for 10 more days until he gets checked again.
“Hopefully (with) a negative result. I hope my coming out will show how dangerously infectious this virus is,” he said.
Zubiri appealed to the public to cooperate with the government measures and heed with warnings against going out amid the public health crisis. (Vanne Terrazola)
