Año to continue self-quarantine

March 29, 2020

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday said he will continue his 14-day self-quarantine despite the pronouncement of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) that ACT-CIS Partylist Representative Erick Go Yap was negative of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a text message to The Daily Manila Shimbun, Año said he will continue his quarantine as he attended events where Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Felimon Santos Jr. was also present. Felimon was tested positive for COVID-19.

“I’m still on quarantine despite (the test result) of Congressman Yap was negative because I am with CSAFP in more than four occasions. The last of which was on March 21 when we welcome the arrival of donated PPEs (personal protective equipment) in Villamor Air Base,” he said.

Año said he is feeling okay and has no symptoms of COVID-19 at all.

The secretary started his self-quarantine on March 25 after the announcement that Yap was tested positive for the virus.

However, the RITM later said there was a mistake in the recording of Yap's test result, which was actually negative. Yap went to Malacanang to attend a meeting prior to the "positive" result that the RITM initially issued.

Most of the cabinet secretaries as well as President Rodrigo Duterte have been undergoing self-quarantine after their exposure with some government officials who were tested positive for COVID-19. Ella Dionisio/DMS