COVID-19 hits BuCor chief Bantag

MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Gerald Bantag has tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“I am confirmed positive,” Bantag said in a text message.

Bantag, in a phone interview, said he started feeling the symptoms last Friday.

“Nag chills ako for two nights. Nagkaron ako ng konting ubo tapos nagka headache ako [I had chills for two nights. I also had a slight cough and headache],” he said.

He said he only took Paracetamol and Vitamin C and by the third night, he started feeling better.

Bantag said he will no longer seek hospitalization because he is already feeling better.

“Hindi na [hospitalization]. Wala na naman akong nararamdaman. May quarter naman ako dito. [No need for hospitalization because I no longer feel any [COVID-19] symptoms and I have my own quarter here [BuCor],” Bantag said.

Bantag believed that he may have contracted the disease from his driver and close-in security staff who both earlier tested positive for COVID-19.

He added that his three other close-in security officers  also had a fever.

He said they thought it was just an ordinary fever. But after his driver and close-in security tested positive and he felt the symptoms, he said he and his other security aides underwent swab test.

“Ako lang ang nagpositive. Siguro ordinary fever lang talaga yung sa kanila [I was the only one who tested positive. Maybe what they had was really just an ordinary fever],” he added.

Aside from Bantag, BuCor Spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag also tested positive for COVID-19.

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