Several other officials were added to the list of COVID-19 victims such as former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Communication Secretary Martin Andanar, and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.
In a Facebook post, Senator Jinggoy Estrada announced the existence of his father Erap of COVID-19.
“Sa aking mga kababayan, Nais ko pong ipaalam sa inyo na ang aking ama, na si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, ay isinugod namin sa ospital kagabi sa kadahilanan ng panghihina ng kanyang katawan,” said the former senator.
“Na-diagnose na po siya na positibo sa covid 19,” Jinggoy continued to ask for prayers for the immediate recovery of his father who also became the mayor of San Juan and Manila.
According to Jinggoy, his father’s condition is “stable”.
In an interview with Dobol B TV, Jinggoy said that on Thursday he noticed that the former president seemed weak.
On the doctor’s advice, he took Erap to the hospital, and there he underwent the COVID-19 test again where the former president tested positive.
Since his father does not go out often, Jinggoy suspects that his father may have been infected by the visitor.
Erap, Andanar, and Mayor Belmonte test positive for COVID-19
He said his father felt better and his oxygen level also increased.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Andanar also announced on Monday that he was positive for COVID-19.
As reported by Tuesday Niu on dzBB Super Radyo, on March 27, the virus was detected when he took a swab test at the airport.
Andanar allegedly came from the Dinagat Islands but the results were positive when he left.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte tested positive for the virus for the second time.
“Eight months after my first bout with COVID-19, I am very sad to report that I have once again tested positive for the virus,” the mayor said in a Facebook post.
“Needless to say, I will abide by all the recommended protocols and actions prescribed by the DOH, IATF, and our own City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU). Our CESU is likewise hard at work doing full contact-tracing procedures on individuals that I may have had close contact with,” the mayor said.