4 OVP staff members tests positive for COVID-19; Robredo tests negative

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has temporarily suspended its office operations for disinfection after four of its staffers have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

OVP spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said Sunday that initially, a staffer at the office who was engaged in its COVID-19 response tested positive for the virus, prompting the conduct of tests for other personnel at the OVP.

Vice President Leni Robredo however tested negative for the disease, but three other staffers tested positive.

“The office has already started contact tracing procedures to identify all those who have interacted with the four staffers that tested positive. But as a consequence of this unfortunate development, office operations at the OVP will temporarily be suspended to make way for a full disinfection procedure,” Gutierrez said in a statement.

According to Gutierrez, the OVP was aware of the risk to Robredo and the rest of the staff when it started its COVID-19 response operations in March.

“Now that a handful of staffers have actually tested positive for the virus, and while we will take every precaution to protect the rest of our staff, our commitment to continue our work to support our nation’s COVID-19 response efforts remains firm and undimmed,” he added.

“This virus will not slow us down. This virus will not beat us,” he further said.

/MUF