Tesda chief Lapeña tests positive for COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director Isidro Lapeña has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Yes at iyong confirmation, yes I tested positive sa (for) COVID-19,” Lapeña said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net when asked for confirmation if he tested positive for the virus.
Lapeña said he received his positive swab test result this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. He said he was tested on Friday after the Senate hearing.
The Tesda director, likewise, disclosed that he will follow a work-from-home scheme to continue performing his duties while under isolation to prevent the spread of the disease.
“I will continue to perform my duties while in isolation. Wala nang face to face I will be in isolation. (No more face to face),” he said.
Lapeña said he is not experiencing any symptoms of the disease.
Article continues after this advertisementAsked about where he got the disease, the Tesda director responded: “That is what I am tracing.”
Article continues after this advertisementSenate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also revealed in a radio interview that Lapeña, who attended a Senate hearing last Wednesday, was diagnosed with the virus.
“Nakakatanggap kong text sa senador na si Secretary Lapeña daw nagpositive for COVID-19 ( I received a text from a senator that Secretary Lapeña tested positive for COVID-19),” he told DWIZ this Saturday.
The senator also appealed to those who were present during the Senate hearing, which tackled the 2021 proposed budget for TESDA, to undergo contact tracing.
“Nanawagan kami [Senate] sa departamento na nandoon last Wednesday na baka pwede magcontact tracing ng kanilang kasamahan,” he further said.
(We are calling on the department members who attended that hearing last Wednesday that maybe they should undergo contact tracing.)
Senator Joel Villanueva, in a message to reporters, revealed that he is also under quarantine because he is a close contact of Lapeña during the hearing.
“He was with me almost the whole time but we were both wearing face masks and face shields,” said Villanueva.
Earlier, Senator Bato Dela Rosa disclosed that he contracted COVID-19. He is the fifth senator to be diagnosed with the virus, after Senators Sonny Angara, Koko Pimentel, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Bong Revilla.
