Isko Moreno, chief of staff test negative for COVID-19

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso answers questions from the media in a press conference on July 9. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and his chief of staff both tested negative for COVID-19, the Manila Public Information Office (MPIO) confirmed on Sunday.

MPIO said in a Facebook post that Moreno and broadcaster Cesar Chavez did not have the virus, days after they came home from an official business trip to London.

“Manila City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso and his Chief of Staff Cesar Chavez have tested negative for COVID-19 after going on an official business trip to the United Kingdom,” MPIO explained.

Moreno is one of the government officials who underwent self-quarantine and were tested after being possibly exposed to the latest coronavirus strain.  So far, President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade have all tested negative.

READ: Duterte tests negative for coronavirus

As of Sunday morning, the Philippines has already recorded 111 COVID-19 cases, with at least eight people dying from it.  The surging numbers have forced Duterte to declare a state of public health emergency, and eventually placing the entire Metro Manila on a “community quarantine”, starting on Sunday.

Worldwide, there are over 152,000 persons infected with COVID-19, while 5,801 individuals have died.  Most of the incidents and the casualties came from China, the virus’ place of origin.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.

Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces.