Officials on self-quarantine over potential COVID-19 exposure
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 11:07 p.m.) — At least three government officials, including a Cabinet member, have put themselves on self-quarantine over potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a message to reporters, Finance Secretary Sonny Domnguez said that he had just found out that "a fellow I met with...Thursday and Friday last week" had tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 11.
He said that he had no symptoms but that he will be "self-isolating" until he can get tested for COVID-19.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and other department officials will also be going on self-quarantine, according to media reports. They had reportedly been exposed to a person who has since been confirmed to have COVID-19.
Also on Wednesday, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian announced that he is going into self-quarantine after a resource person at a hearing of the Senate education committee on March 5 tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
"Though I am asymptomatic and feeling healthy, I will follow government-set protocols on such cases and go into self-quarantine immediately," GMA News Online quotes him as saying.
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno is also putting himself on self-quarantine after returning from London, where he met with the United Kingdom's task force on the novel coronavirus. There have been 373 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK.
The Department of Health has suggested home quarantine and assessment, monitoring, and management with their respective city or municipal offices for those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 while traveling.
Those under self-quarantine are asked to sustain this for at least 14 days.
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