MANILA – Negrense senator Juan Miguel Zubiri tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019, a week after undergoing self-quarantine along with a number of fellow senators.
Zubiri said in a statement last night that he was informed by Department of Health (DOH) secretary Francisco Duque III afternoon of the same date that the COVID-19 test conducted on him on March 13 turned out positive.
“It is with sadness that I announce that I am positive for COVID-19,” Zubiri said. “I had a test taken last Friday while on self-quarantine and this afternoon, I received a call from Sec. Duque on my condition.”
“My heart sank with what he had said, but I am uplifted with the fact that I am asymptomatic and have no fever or cough, nor am I weak or have any headaches,” the Negrense senator added.
The Kabankalan City-native Zubiri added that he was surprised to have contracted the virus despite the fact that he was careful with his dealings to people ever since the COVID-19 started its outbreak in the country.
“As one of those very early on in the Senate who espoused and advocated for stronger government response on controlling COVID-19, I was very careful in my dealings with people at work in the Senate,” he said.
“I practiced social distancing as well as no handshake policy, yet i got contaminated. How, I do not know. This just goes to show how easily this virus is spread and therefore it is best for everyone to stay home and stay clean,” he added.
Zubiri, along with several other senators underwent voluntary self-quarantine last week after having discovered that one of the resource persons who attended a Senate hearing tested positive of the virus.
“My decision to self-quarantine last Wednesday evening after session was the best decision I made and could have protected my family from contamination,” Zubiri said.
“As for me I will stay locked in isolation for 10 more days until i get checked once again with hopefully a negative result. I hope my coming out will show how dangerously infectious this virus is,” he added. “Makinig po tayo sa mga babala nang Gobyerno at wag na po kayo lumabas sa inyong mga tahanan. God bless us all.”/PN
