FILE PHOTO: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines — “Happy to be back,” declared presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday as he reported that he is now out of isolation after contracting COVID-19 for the second time.
“Unang araw po out of isolation,” he said in a Palace briefing.
(It’s my first day out of isolation.)
Roque announced on April 10 that he contracted COVID-19 anew and was admitted to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for treatment.
He said he started experiencing symptoms as early as April 5 and found out he tested positive for the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, on April 6.
His hospitalization became controversial after many have questioned how he was able to quickly secure a room in PGH while many ordinary Filipinos have to wait for days to get admitted.
READ: COVID-hit Roque slams ‘un-Christian’ query on how fast he secured hospital bed
READ: Roque insists he was in ‘bad shape’ when admitted for COVID-19
But he claimed it took him four days before he got admitted to PGH.
On April 15, or after six days in the hospital, Roque said he was due for discharge and may already be transferred to a temporary isolation facility.
During his stay at PGH, however, he was still able to hold his regular press briefings to the media.