MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may need to undergo self-quarantine should Health Secretary Francisco Duque III test positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) due to their close association in the past days.
The President would also be advised to test for the virus again, said Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire.
“Kung si Presidente po ay kailangan nating itest, tandaan po natin pag gumagawa po tayo ng contact tracing, meron po tayong initial contacts or the direct contacts of the case. Meron po tayong second layer contact, third layer contacts and so on and so forth,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.
(Whether the President needs to be tested again, we should remember that we conduct a contact tracing. There are initial contacts or direct contacts of the case. We also have a second layer contact, third layer contact and so on and so forth.)
President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he speaks during an Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases last March 16, 2020, with Health Secretary Francisco Duque at the background. (Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP)
“Si Presidente po kung saka sakali ay nakasalamuha ni Secretary Duque, pag lumabas po ang resulta ni Secretary Duque at kung sakali po, wag naman po sana, na magpositibo po sya, saka po natin bibigyan ng abiso ang Presidente para mag-test ulit at mag-quarantine,” she continued.
(In case the President interacted with Secretary Duque and the results of his test turns out to be positive, then we will advise the President to get tested again and to undergo self-quarantine.)
Duque is under self-quarantine after a senior official of DOH tested positive or the virus.
Duque earlier said the President and other Cabinet members do not need to isolate themselves yet and assured they observed social distancing during their meetings.
Duterte earlier tested negative for COVID-19.
Malacañang already assured Duterte is “fit and healthy” even after his exposure with Duque.