Noong Miyerkules lamang, Abril 8, kinumpirma ni Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones na siya ay nagpositibo sa coronavirus disease (COVID-19) matapos niyang sumailalim sa ilang tests para sa naturang virus.
Saad ng kalihim, pangalawang beses na daw niya itong sumailalim sa COVID-19 tests. Aniya, siya ay nag-negatibo mula sa naturang virus noong siya ay sumailalim sa tests noong Marso 13 dahil nga ilan sa mga kasamahan niya ay na-expose sa mga COVID-19 patients. Habang hinihintay ang resulta, nanatili lamang daw siyang naka-isolate at nagtatrabaho sa isang satellite officer para magampanan pa rin ang tungkulin bilang Secretary of the Department.
Pagpapatuloy ni DepEd Secretary Briones, muli daw siyang sumailalim sa COVID-19 tests noong Abril 2 dahil siya ay kasama rin sa mga na-expose sa isang Cabinet member na nag-positibo sa COVID-19. Nang natanggap na nga niya ang resulta ng kaniyang pangawalang COVID-19 tests, nakasaad doon na siya ay positibo sa COVID-19.
Sa ngayon, nagsasagawa ng contact tracing ang Department of Health (DOH) para sa mga taong nakasalamuha ni DepEd Secretary Briones at hinikayat niya ang mga ito na sumailalim sa self-quarantine sa kani-kanilang bahay upang masuri at maobserbahan kaagad ang kanilang sarili.
Samantala, kahit pa man naka-isolate ngayon ang kalihim, nagpapatuloy pa rin siya sa kaniyang tungkulin at sa kaniyang trabaho.
Ani ng kalihim sa kaniyang pahayag,
"As a government official and Cabinet member, and as a Filipino, it is my duty to announce that yesterday late afternoon, April 8, 2020, I was informed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine that I am positive for SARS-COV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.
This has been my second test. The first was on March 13, after a number of my Execom members were exposed to a patient who tested positive for COVID-19. Similar with other Cabinet members, I was tested to ensure that there was no threat to my functioning as Education Secretary, and to protect my fellow Cabinet members and the President. I received the result on March 16; it was negative. With a few close in staff, I stayed in a satellite office to conduct my duties as Secretary of the Department.
Last April 2, I had myself tested again after another Cabinet member announced that he was tested and declared positive. He and I attended an urgent and critical meeting of select Cabinet officials on March 23. My test result, as I said, was positive.
I remain asymptomatic. My body temperature, which is taken three times a day, remains normal.
I am going on isolation. However, like my fellow Cabinet member, I will continue working — virtually attend IATF meetings, preside over the DepEd EXECOM and MANCOM, and make all decisions necessary to keep DepEd in full operation.
I call on all who had physical contact with me to go on precautionary self-quarantine at home. DepEd has coordinated with the DOH for the contact tracing and other necessary interventions following their protocols.
It is my hope and my fervent prayer that we will recover as a nation and that our spirit of bayanihan will pull us through. With God’s grace, we will all heal as one."
Source: Citizen Express
