DILG gets new OIC as Covid-19 survivor Año files one-month leave

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año. INQUIRER.net file photo / Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who contracted Covid-19 twice, will be on leave until the end of January after his doctors advised him to look out for his health, an official from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday.

DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said  Año designated Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece as officer-in-charge of the interior department.

“Alam naman natin as a Covid survivor so ang sabi ng doktor kailangan magpahinga muna, i-pacing ang kanyang [Año] sarili at mag-umiwas sa mga stressful activities so ang sabi ng mga doktor, panahon na Sec, para magpahinga ka naman ng kaunti. So, totoo iyon nag-file siya ng leave for a month,”  Malaya told ABS-CBN Teleradyo.

(We know that he is a Covid survivor so the doctor said he needs to rest, pace himself and avoid stressful activities so doctors said, secretary, it is time for you to rest first. So it is true that he will take a leave for a month.)

Malaya also pointed out that it is normal for survivors of the severe respiratory disease to feel weak because it is a long-term effect of the Covid-19.

“Medyo napapagod siya [Año] madalas, which kung titignan naman natin iyong mga nagka-Covid especially na na-ospital, typical naman ang resulta. Daming studies na binabasa na iyon ang long-term effect ng Covid. Sinisiguro lang niya ang kanyang kalusugan at kaligtasan at minabuti na niyang pakinggan ang mga doktor,” he said.

(He gets tired easily, which if you look at Covid-infected people especially those who were hospitalized, it shows the same typical results. There are a lot of studies showing that it is the long-term effect of Covid. He is just making sure of his health and safety so he listened to his doctors.)

Año, who is also the vice chairman of National Task Force against Covid-19, was first diagnosed with Covid-19 last March 3, 2020 and recovered after more than one month.

He was again infected with the disease last August 15, 2020 and survived last Sept. 2 last year.

As of Jan. 12, the Philippines logged a total of 491,258 cases of coronavirus disease. Of which, 23,532 are active cases, 458,172 are recoveries and 9,554 are deaths.

JPV