Duterte’s quarantine, another COVID-19 test depend on Duque’s test result – DOH

March 20, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte's undergoing quarantine and another test for possible coronavirus disease would depend on the result of the test of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, a health official said on Friday.

In a press briefing, Health Undersecretary Rosette Vergeire said Duque, who is undergoing self-isolation in his home, is doing well.

She said the result of Duque's test has yet to come out.

"The Secretary is in good condition, he's working right now in his house. We have regular communication with him through teleconference and phone calls," she said.

Vergeire explained that Duque, who belongs to a "vulnerable population" for having an asthma, hypertension and being a senior citizen already, was exposed to an official of the DOH who became positive for COVID-19.

She said that Duque had a "direct contact" to a COVID-19 patient.

The official explained that Duterte belongs to a "second layer contact" who has no direct contact to COVID-19 patient, but to an individual, like Duque.

"Once the (test) result of Secretary Duque comes out, and if in the event - hopefully it's not positive - it is, we will advise the President to have a test and undergo a quarantine," Vergeire said.

Duterte previously underwent a test for COVID-19 even if he was asymptomatic. His test was negative.

At the same time, Vergeire admitted that the government is "being challenged" insofar as its testing and laboratory capacities are concerned.

The DOH is not testing those individuals who are not asymptomatic.

For those known politicians and personalities who were tested despite being asymptomatic, Vergeire said the tests were conducted when the "diagnostic criteria was not yet changed."

That time, she said they tested even if there were no symptoms for as long as they have history of exposure to COVID-19 positive and traveled for the past 14 days in a country with localized transmission.

"If you will take note of the chronology of those policies that we released, we have changed our criteria for diagnosing, for identifying people who would be admitted or tested since that time. I'm not sure if it was March 16 or earlier than that," she explained.

Among the government officials who underwent COVID-19 testing even if they were not asymptomatic were Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Nancy Binay and Christopher "Bong" Go; Cabinet officials, such as Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Benjamin Diokno; and Presidential Security Group head Colonel Jesus Durante III. They all tested negative for COVID-19. Celerina Monte/DMS