MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Monday that she now tested negative for the novel coronavirus, a week after she revealed she contracted the disease.
An advisory from the Department of Education said Briones’ COVID-19 now yields a negative result, citing information from the Department of Health.
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In a separate GMA News report, Briones was quoted as saying in a mix of English and Filipino: “Early this morning, [Health] Secretary [Francisco] Duque texted me that the result, for me only, is negative.”
Briones also told GMA News’ Unang Balita that they are still waiting for COVID-19 results of her family.
The 79-year-old Education chief disclosed Thursday last week that she received her test results on April 8 late afternoon. She is the second Cabinet member to have contracted the virus.
Briones said her first test, taken March 13, came out negative. This was after a number of DepEd officials had exposure to a confirmed case.
She underwent another test on April 2 after a Cabinet member who attended an urgent meeting with her last March 23 announced he contracted the disease.
Briones did not identify the government official, but Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said March 31 that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Other members of the Duterte Cabinet have been on self-quarantine since.
Briones said last week that she remains asymptomatic. “My body temperature, which is taken three times a day, remains normal.”
On Monday, Briones said in GMA’s Dobol B sa News TV that when she heard that she now tests negative, she felt like she was given a “last minute pardon” after receiving a death sentence.
As of Sunday, there are 4,648 infections in the country. Death tally is at 297, while recoveries stand at 197. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Ian Nicolas Cigaral