Updated @ 11:58 p.m., March 11, 2020
MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade joined a growing list of government officials who are going on self-isolation after being exposed to a COVID-19 carrier.
The move was announced by Assistant Transportation Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran in a statement.
Libiran said Tugade had interaction with the COVID-19 patient last week. The patient’s specimen tested positive for the disease this afternoon.
No other details were given about Tugade’s health, but Libiran said the Transportation chief would undergo testing for the coronavirus disease “if needed.”
Self-quarantine is required for 14 days as the incubation period, which is the period of exposure to an infection and appearance of the first symptoms of COVID-19, reaches up to 14 days.
Other government officials who will undertake self-quarantine are Finance Chief Carlos Dominguez III, Senators Nancy Binay and Sherwin Gatchalian, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the country has 49 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease. Of the number, there are already two fatality of the disease.
The coronavirus disease came from the novel coronavirus, which was first reported from China’s City of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.
The International on Taxonomy of Viruses named the new coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.
The novel coronavirus causes respiratory symptoms including fever, cough and colds but it can also cause serious illness such as pneumonia especially to older adults and people who are diagnosed with other health issues.
The coronavirus, a family of viruses, have surfaces with crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surface.