NFA employee tests positive for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — A National Food Authority (NFA) employee has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday confirmed.

“Yes, we have one,” DA Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Noel Reyes, quoting NFA Administrator Judy Dansal, said in an online press briefing when asked to confirm if an NFA employee had contracted COVID-19.

“She is doing good and recovering fast,” Reyes added.

The employee, Reyes said, is not part of the NFA’s skeletal workforce, and has never reported for work since the declaration of the enhanced community quarantine.

“She was, however, asked to report for work for a few hours on April 23 to check [on] a concern,” the DA Spokesperson said.

Based on the NFA’s investigation, the employee had a low fever on the day she reported for work and was sent to the Chinese General Hospital on April 9 “due to difficulty in breathing,” Reyes added.

Upon learning the results of the employee’s test, the NFA ordered to do contact tracing, as well as self-quarantine of the people the COVID-19 patient had interacted with.

Reyes added that the NFA office was put on lockdown, and general cleaning and disinfection were done.

As of Tuesday, the Philippines has 9,485 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 1,315 have recovered while 623 have died.