Migz Zubiri tests positive for COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he tested positive for the coronavirus disease—making him the first national elected official who has been infected.
“I had a test taken last Friday while on self-quarantine and this afternoon, I received a call from Sec. [Francisco] Duque [III] on my condition. My heart sank with what he had said,” Zubiri said in a statement Monday.
The senator said he is asymptomatic “nor am I weak or have any headaches.”
Zubiri was among the senators who placed themselves on self-quarantine after a resource person who attended a Senate hearing tested positive for COVID-19.
“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.
The Senate majority leader added he did not know how he contracted the virus despite practicing social distancing as well as a "no-handshake" policy.
"This just goes to show how easily this virus is spread and therefore it is best for everyone to stay home and stay clean. As for me, I will stay locked in isolation for 10 more days until i get checked once again with hopefully a negative result," he said.
The other senators who are in isolation are:
- Nancy Binay
- Franklin Drilon
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Panfilo Lacson
- Lito Lapid
- Imee Marcos
- Francis Pangilinan
- Ramon Revilla Jr.
- Francis Tolentino
Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go last week announced that he had tested negative for COVID-19. He has since visited Butuan City to "[distribute] food, relief and financial assistance to 444 families comprised of 2,292 individuals who lost their homes in a fire on March 9," according to a report by The STAR.
President Rodrigo Duterte also tested negative for COVID-19.
The Philippines has so far reported 140 infections, including 12 fatalities, since the country first detected case in late January. It is unclear if Zubiri was among the COVID-19 cases in the country earlier announced by the DOH.
Globally, there have been more than 169,000 infections and over 6,500 confirmed deaths from the virus that originated in central Chinese city of Wuhan last year.
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