MANILA, Philippines — A staff of a lawmaker of the House of Representatives has contracted the coronavirus disease 2019, making her the 46th confirmed case in the chamber.
House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales said on Monday that the congressional staff last went to the premises of the chamber on August 11 to meet with her officemates.
“She is not a close contact of any confirmed case in the House of Representatives,” Montales said in a statement.
“Contact tracing is ongoing,” he added.
Montales earlier reported that another employee of the House has tested positive for the coronavirus.
He also said that of the total cases in the chamber, 34 have recovered while four have succumbed to the deadly respiratory disease.
As of August 17, there are 164,474 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 112,759 recoveries and 2,681 fatalities. [ac]