MANILA, Philippines — Another employee working in the Office of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has tested positive for the coronavirus, pushing the COVID-19 tally at the House of Representatives to 38.
In a short statement Sunday, House Secretary General Attorney Jose Luis Montales said the staff member last reported for work on July 28.
“He went home about three (3) hours later after experiencing fever, body malaise, and decreased sense of smell,” Montales said.
“He’s now afebrile and has fully recovered his sense of smell. But he has mild cough. He is on home quarantine. Contact tracing is ongoing,” he added.
This is the third case of COVID-19 among the staff members of the House speaker.
As of August 8, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines reached 126,885. Of the number, 67,117 have so far recovered while 2,209 have succumbed to the disease.