Año joins rising number of gov’t execs on self-isolation amid COVID-19 spread

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año placed himself under self-quarantine since Thursday night as he was among those in the March 21 meeting in Malacañang with ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, who learned he was COVID-19 positive on Wednesday night. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said this Friday after several government officials like Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and long-time presidential aide and now Senator Bong Go have announced they would undergo self-quarantine since they were also part of the March 21 meeting.

“Si SILG (Año) went on self-quarantine because of Yap,” Malaya said in a text message,

During the meeting in Malacañang, officials discussed the government response on the increasing number of people contracting the highly-infectious respiratory illness in the Philippines.

Yap announced he was COVID-19 positive on Wednesday night after receiving the information on the result of his test from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

KGA