Philippine President Tests Positive for Covid-19

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has been diagnosed with Covid-19, necessitating a five-day isolation period, as announced by the Malacañang on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the announcement was made through a Facebook post, stating, ‘President Bongbong Marcos has tested positive for Covid-19. Upon medical advice, he will observe a period of isolation for five days.’ The PCO also mentioned that President Marcos would continue to perform his duties remotely.

The PCO has committed to providing updates on Marcos’ health status as they become available. Despite the diagnosis, Marcos intends to fulfill his presidential duties via virtual meetings. The statement from the PCO clarified, ‘The President remains fit to carry out his duties and will be continuing his scheduled meetings via teleconference.’ This marks the third instance of President Marcos testing positive for Covid-19, with previous infections in March 2020 and July 2022.

In light of his diagnosis, President Marcos has called for heightened vigilance and precautionary measures during the holiday season. He has urged the public to get vaccinated and to wear masks in crowded areas. This call to action comes amid a recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the Philippines, with 1,340 new infections reported between November 28 and December 4, surpassing the 1,218 cases recorded in the previous week, according to the Department of Health.

Earlier this year, in July, Marcos issued Proclamation 297, which lifted the state of public health emergency that had been declared due to Covid-19. The decision followed the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) noting a decrease in Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations, as well as increased population immunity to the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concurred with the committee’s advice in May, declaring that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.