AS a matter of precaution, Vice President Leni Robredo has gone on 14-day quarantine as a member of her lean security team yielded positive for the deadly virus from Wuhan, China.
The Vice-President, who has been busy on her Swab Cabs outreach mission, was just about to travel to Bicolandia to pay her last respects to her friend, Osy Rivera, whom she said died of cancer.
“I was all set to go. But just a few minutes ago, I received a contact tracing call informing me that my close-in security has tested positive [for COVID-19],” Robredo said in her Facebook post early today.
According to Robredo, it is of the best interest of the public and people working with her to go on quarantine if only to ensure that she doesn’t spread the virus, in the event she also turns out to be positive.
“I was with him in the car, in the elevator, and in the office almost every day this week. We have regular surveillance antigen testing in the office and we do follow very strict health protocols but because I was a very close contact, I need to do the required quarantine and do an [RT-PCR] test after my quarantine,” Robredo’s post further reads.
Robredo’s office recently launched a mobile Swab Cab which offers free antigen COVID-19 test in areas with high COVID-19 cases.
The Philippines has been averaging 10,000 fresh cases of COVID-19 infections on a daily basis for more almost a month, compelling President Rodrigo Duterte to re-impose enhanced community quarantine last month. The lockdown classification has been downgraded to a less stringent modified enhanced community quarantine, which remains in effect until the end of April.