Mandaue, Cebu Mayor tests positive for COVID-19

Mandaue, Cebu Mayor Jonas Cortes on Monday announced that he was infected with the severe respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

In a social media post, Cortes said he got himself tested for COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms of the viral illness.

"I am sorry to inform you my fellow Mandauehanon brothers, that after my swab yesterday afternoon I came out positive for COVID-19. I underwent the RT-PCR (swab) test due to my proven symptoms of this disease yesterday," he wrote in Cebuano, adding that he was under isolation and monitoring his health.

Nonetheless, the Cebu town mayor said city government operations will not be suspended despite getting diagnosed with the disease.

"Despite this, our city's service continues. Let's all continue to follow the health protocols in our city because COVID-19 is really around us," he said.

To date, the Philippines logged more than 800,000 cases of COVID-19. This includes 13,435 fatalities and 646,237 survivors. --NB, GMA News