MANILA, Philippines — A House lawmaker has tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Go Yap on Wednesday night confirmed that he has tested positive for COVID-19 which has infected over 630 people in the country as of posting.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share to all of you that I tested positive for coronavirus,” Yap, who chairs the House committee on appropriations, said in a statement.
According to Yap, he received a call from the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the positive result of the COVID-19 test conducted on him last March 15.
“Inis at galit ang naramdaman ko dahil alam ko sa sarili ko na maaaring nailagay ko sa alanganin ang buhay ng mga taong nakapaligid sa akin,” Yap said.
The lawmaker said he decided to get tested after presiding the hearing on bills seeking supplemental budget for COVID-19 response on March 10. The bills were handled by the committee on appropriations.
“After that, it was business as usual for me but I was careful as always,” Yap said.
“Since March 10, ilang tao pa ang nakasalamuha ko kabilang na ang ilan na maaaring na-expose sa mga known positive cases of COVID-19,” he added.
Yap also attended a meeting in Malacañang on March 21 to tackle government measures in combatting COVID-19.
“Bago tayo magpunta doon, nagtanong ako kung may resulta na ang aking test, pero wala pa daw. I attended the meeting and was careful the whole time knowing na I could potentially be a carrier of the virus,” the lawmaker said.
Yap also attended House’s special session on the approval of the House Bill 6616 which grants President Rodrigo Duterte additional powers to address the coronavirus pandemic. The lawmaker sponsored the said bill.
“Earlier that day, bago magtungo ng Kongreso, nagtanong ako kung may resulta na ang aking test, pero wala pa rin daw. That was 8 days after my test,” Yap said.
Yap apologised to the people whom he may have had interactions with.
“I was paranoid dahil may kaunting ubo akong naramdaman but I felt it was normal for me. Mas nag-ingat tayo dahil wala pang resulta ang test ko. Those who know me personally know that I practice good personal hygiene. But it didn’t spare me from this virus,” he said.
The lawmaker also appealed to the public to stay at home and maintain good personal hygiene. Yap, however, said that the public must also keep their surroundings clean.
“Hindi naging sapat na malinis lang ang katawan ko dahil kinailangan kong lumabas at makisalamuha sa tao dahil sa tungkulin ko,” Yap said.
“Sabi nila, senior citizens are the most at risk. Stop going out and stop socializing; ‘lower risk’ does not mean ‘no risk’. This is a minor setback for me but it will not stop me from fulfilling my duties and responsibilities. Let’s all rise from this together,” the lawmaker said.