Sotto: Senate reviewing health protocols after Bato, TESDA chief got COVID-19

Published November 23, 2020 01:23 PM By DONA MAGSINO,GMA News

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said the upper chamber's health protocols are being assessed after Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa and another executive official tested positive for COVID-19 amid the budget deliberations.

"I ordered a review. Secretariat [is] already checking on effectivity of protocols. Disinfection is almost daily. This past week, [the] entire Senate was disinfected," Sotto said in a message.

On Saturday, Dela Rosa announced that he got infected

with COVID-19. He was in the Senate premises last Wednesday during the plenary debates on the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

Those who had been in contact with him were instructed to observe if they would also develop symptoms.

Senator Joel Villanueva said Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director Isidro Lapeña, who was also present at the Senate last Wednesday, later on tested positive for COVID-19 too on Saturday.

The Senate required medical certificates from resource persons and visitors since October 1 as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.

Virtual attendance to sessions and hearings in the upper chamber were also allowed since May to reduce face-to-face interactions. —KG, GMA News

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