For so long a time, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. has essentially evaded COVID-19 while touring the country to promote the importance of vaccination.
That ended Sunday, May 22, when Galvez tested positive for the virus, the first time in two years since he was deployed by President Duterte in the frontlines of the pandemic.
In a statement, Galvez said he took his weekly RT-PCR on Sunday which yielded a positive result.
"I am experiencing mild symptoms but remain in high spirits. Members of my immediate family and I are fully vaccinated and have received the booster shot. All of us are under isolation," Galvez said.
The vaccine czar requested all the people who came into contact with him over the past five to seven days to have a Covid-19 test and observe their health conditions.
"While I am under isolation, I will continue to monitor the country’s peace processes and vaccination efforts," said Galvez, who also serves as the chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).
"I encourage the unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 jab as soon as possible, and those eligible to take their first and second booster doses," Galvez said.
Galvez is the brains behind the government's efforts to bring into the country around 245.23 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines beginning in 2021 despite the global shortage.
The country's vaccination program against Covid-19 was highly regarded by Duterte and touted by other countries.
In January this year, Galvez also placed himself under isolation after being exposed to several of his staff who tested positive for the coronavirus.