QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has tested positive for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Nais ko pong ipahayag sa lahat ng aking minamahal na QCitizens na ako po ay nag-positibo sa aking huling COVID-19 test. Nagpapasalamat po ako na agad itong natuklasan. Sa ngayon, maayos po ang aking kalagayan at wala po akong nararamdamang anumang sintomas,” Belmote said in a statement shared through the Quezon City Government Facebook page on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
She said she is undergoing quarantine as prescribed by the Department of Health while the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (QC-ESU) is conducting contact tracing procedures.
Belmonte said her office is temporarily closed for disinfection along with the common areas in the City Hall.
“Dahil sa pagdalaw sa ating mga health center at ospital, special concern lockdown areas at mga komunidad upang alamin ang kanilang mga pangangailangan, sa simula pa lang, batid na naming posibleng mangyari ito. Pero hindi ko po ito pinagsisisihan. Inihanda ko na po ang aking sarili at buong puso ko po itong tinatanggap,” she said.
“Nangyari po ito sa kabila ng aking ibayong pag-iingat, pagsusuot ng facemask, madalas na paghugas ng kamay, at social distancing. Kaya sana ay magsilbi itong paalala na ang COVID-19 ay tunay na isang kakaibang sakit na dapat pag-ingatan pa nang lubusan,” she added.
The mayor assured that she will continue to perform her duties and responsibilities as mayor while under quarantine. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)