SENATORS Sherwin Gatchalian and Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay have opted to self-quarantine after they were exposed to a male individual who tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd has ordered a lockdown of the Senate building to disinfect it as all public hearings have been canceled.
“Lockdown na muna (It will be locked down). The Senate will be disinfected tomorrow (March 12),” Sotto said adding that closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) will be reviewed to determine who were the other people the Covid-19 carrier interacted with.
In a statement, Gatchalian said, “I have recently been informed that a resource person who attended the hearing of the Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture last March 5, 2020, which I chair, has tested positive for Covid-19.”
“Though I am asymptomatic and feel healthy, I will follow government set protocols on such cases and go into self-quarantine immediately given that I interacted with the said individual during that committee hearing. I instructed all my staff to do the same especially those who had direct contact with the said person too,” he added.
Binay said, “Following the decision of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to go into self-quarantine, I have likewise decided to take similar precautions and self-monitor for the next 14 days.”
She said Gatchalian and I were present during the March 5 hearing. “It is with a heavy heart to learn that one of our resource speakers has been tested positive for Covid-19,” she said.
Binay had asked her staff to do the same and take precautionary steps to limit face-to-face interactions.
“With close to 50 people already tested positive, it only shows that the exposure to the virus is real, and there’s a high chance that someone out there is a carrier,” she said.
“This is a serious public health matter and I enjoin everyone who came in contact with me in the past week to take the same precautions and observe all the basic hygienic processes,” Binay said.
The senator from Makati added, “Let us continue to pray for the containment of the corona virus. Prayer will always be our first line of defense.” (B. Tamayo, TMT)