MANILA, Philippines — Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco on Thursday announced that he had placed himself under self-quarantine after attending an event with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“Pag gising ko kaninang umaga, nakita ko sa news na ilan sa mga Cabinet secretary ay nag self-quarantine dahil sila ay nag attend ng isang affair na kung saan ang isang tao ay nag test positive #COVIDー19,” Tiangco said in an Instagram post.
(When I woke up, I saw the news that some of the Cabinet secretaries are under self-quarantine because they attended an affair where one person tested for COVID-19.)
“Sa tingin ko pa parehong affair ang pinuntahan namin, (I think I attended the same affair as well),” he added.
As of Thursday, the Philippines’ confirmed case of COVID-19 is at 49.
The Department of Health (DOH) also reported the country’s second COVID-19 fatality who is also the first Filipino patient.
Tiangco added that although that he does not exhibit symptoms of the virus such as coughing, sneezing or having symptoms of the cold, he will still place himself under self-quarantine.
“Dahil sa privacy hindi ko po alam kung nakatabi ko or nakausap or nakamayan ang taong nag test positive,” the mayor said.
(Because of privacy, I don’t know if I was near the patient, nor have I talked or shaken hands with him.)
“Kaya’t napakahalaga po ng social distancing or pag iwas sa mga matataong lugar (That’s why social distancing, or avoiding crowded places, is important),” he added.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año previously bared that social distancing, the process of limiting people to gather and spread the virus, will be implemented in Metro Manila to contain the spread of the virus.