Comelec chair Abas says COVID-19 positive voters can still vote

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sheriff Abas said Friday that registered voters with COVID-19 can still vote in the May 2022 national and local elections.

During the deliberations on the proposed P26.728-billion budget for the poll body, Zamboanga City Representative Manuel "Mannix" Dalipe pressed Abas if voters afflicted with COVID-19 can still vote in the coming polls.

"If a registered voter is tested positive for COVID, can that registered voter vote in [the] upcoming May 9 national and local elections?" Dalipe said.

Abas answered in the affirmative. "Oo naman po. Pwede po silang bumoto."

"But gagawan po namin ng paraan na magkaroon ng parang isolation center sa bawat polling center, so ihihiwalay po natin sila just in case they will be confirmed and then doon natin sila pabobotohin doon sa isolation center."

(We will just make adjustments. We will have an isolation center in each polling center so we will isolate those who are COVID-positive. They will cast their votes in that isolation center.)

But Abas said it would be different case for the poll servers, as they will not be allowed to serve in the elections if they test positive for COVID-19.

Abas said the Comelec has been coordinating with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to finalize the guidelines for next year's polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic. —LBG, GMA News