Senate under ‘semi-lockdown’, 2 employees COVID-positive

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday announced that the Senate is under “semi lockdown” after two employees tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“We are already in semi lockdown. I was just briefed by the Senate Secretary of the request of some employees,” Sotto told reporters in a Viber message.

Due to hearings and work to be conducted in the offices of the senators, Sotto said they “cannot declare a total lockdown.”

“Therefore, my suggestion to the Senate Secretary is to inform those who want a lockdown to do so if they prefer, but we cannot declare so for the entire Senate,” Sotto said.

“Also, the persons exposed to the two employees have already passed their 14 days self-quarantine,” he added.

Citing the Senate’s Medical and Dental Bureau, Sotto’s office said there were 16 COVID-19 cases recorded in the Senate since March.

Of the number, two are active cases, while 14 have already recovered.

“There is no 14-day lockdown. It’s optional to the offices concerned. The two employees who tested positive have already been quarantined,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said in a separate message.

Lacson earlier said there were “two or four” cases of COVID-19 in the Senate, hence the premises were disinfected Monday.

Senators Sonny Angara, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Juan Miguel Zubiri had been infected with COVID-19, but all three have already recovered.

In March, a staffer of Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. succumbed to COVID-19. [gsg]