Cabinet, IATF members go on self-quarantine; Duterte is fine, public assured

Malacañang on Monday said members of the Cabinet and the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases have decided to undergo self-quarantine after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement hours before President Duterte  was set to announce the new quarantine classification of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal which are all under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until August 18.

Roque, who held his press briefing from his house, said that President Duterte's meeting with members of the Cabinet and the IATF will be virtual instead of personal as they go on self-quarantine after it was announced that Año has contracted COVID-19 anew.

"Alam niyo naman po na si Secretary Año ay nag-positive at minabuti na po naming mag-self quarantine ngayon (You know that Secretary Año tested positive for COVID-19 and we opted to go on self-quarantine now)," he said.

"Tuloy pa rin po ito bagama't this will be a virtual conference dahil minabuti nga po namin na dahil nga po nagpositibo ang isa sa amin na pag-ingatan po ang kalusugan ng Presidente (The meeting will push through but this will be virtual because we chose to protect the health of the President after one of us tested positive)," he added.

According to Roque, he will personally be in quarantine for five days before they undergo PCR tests.

"Ako kasi bilang tagapagsalita (As a spokesperson), I need to serve by way of example," he said.

President Duterte is expected to announce the quarantine classification of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal on Monday evening or Tuesday morning after the said areas were placed under MECQ for 15 days.

In his briefing, Roque refused to preempt the President's decision but said the IATF and Metro Manila mayors were "unanimous" in their recommendation for the next quarantine period.

President is safe

Roque assured the public that President Duterte is in good condition after rumors surfaced that the Chief Executive went to Singapore over the weekend for medical treatment.

According to Roque, there was no need for the public to be concerned.

"Wala po . Fake news po ang pag-alis ng Pilipinas ng ating Presidente (There's no reason to be concerned. Reports about him leaving the country are fake)," he said.

"Nananatili po siya sa Davao, hindi po siya umaalis ng Pilipinas (He's been in Davao City and has not left the country and his health his fine)," he added.

Roque said the President was not a close contact of Año, saying the Presidential Security Group (PSG) has been doing a good job in keeping the President safe.

"He (President Duterte) is in perpetual isolation in the sense that the PSG has done a very good job in making sure that no one really comes close to the President," he said.

"Whenever we meet with him, there is a velvet rope that keeps him at least six feet away from everyone else so no one can really come close to the President," he added.

According to Roque, President Duterte undergoes regular PCR tests, especially when he is returning to Davao City where it is required by the local government.