QC disease surveillance unit asks House's full report on COVID cases

Quezon City's Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit is asking the House of Representatives (HoR) full disclosure of COVID-19 cases in the chamber, amid reports that health protocols were not observed during a meeting attended by some congressmen at a hotel in Taguig City on November 20.

According to Dr. Rolly Cruz, QC-CESU director, transparency in the HoR is being sought after at least 40 confirmed new COVID cases were report in the Batasang Pambansa Complex.

Dr. Cruz also said that some workers and staff in the HoR have alleged that those infected got the disease in their workplace.

Cruz pointed out that submission of the full list of COVID cases should be done on time, as required in the guidelines on reporting cases of COVID-19.

He said the workers who contracted the virus are residents of Barangay Batasan Hills, a residential area adjacent to the HOR complex.

He said the lower House has not yet submitted a complete list of COVID-19 cases in the chamber.

He said that once his office gets the full report, an evaluation on the situation in the House will be immediately undertaken. 

Earlier reports said several members of the House including Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, DIWA party-list Representative Mike Aglipay and Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero were at a dinner meeting attended by Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) Director Isidro Lapena, who was later found to be positive for COVID-19.

The TESDA director later said he has since tested negative for the virus twice, but will go through the prescribed quarantine.

Aglipay, meanwhile, said that those present in the meeting had themselves tested for COVID-19. Romero echoed Aglipay and noted that he immediately got himself tested with antigen and RT-PCR test. —LBG, GMA News