2 more House employees test positive for COVID-19; cases now 36

Two more employees of the House of Representatives have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the chamber to 36.

House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales confirmed the development in a statement shared with reporters on Wednesday.

According to him, the two newest cases of COVID-19 in the House are spouses.

The first one is assigned at the Human Resources Management Services, who went to work on July 22, 29, and 30, and subsequently availed COVID-19 testing after experiencing colds, he said.

Meanwhile, the second one is assigned at the Accounting Service who also reported for work on July 29 and 30, he added.

Montales said contact tracing is ongoing in relation to the two new cases at the House.

Apart from House employees, some lawmakers have also contracted the deadly disease.

Just last week, Deputy Speaker Johnny Pimentel confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19, disallowing him to physically attend Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Sulu Representative Samier Tan was also reported to have tested positive for the disease.

Over the weekend, Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman and his wife, Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia "Dadah" Turabin-Hataman, also tested positive for the disease.

Three of the 36 cases of COVID-19 in the House have died.

As of August 4, a total of 112,593 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Philippines, with 2,115 deaths and 66,049 recoveries. —KBK, GMA News
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