Another House employee who tested positive for COVID-19 dies

Another employee of the House of Representatives who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away on Thursday morning.

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

"It was reported to us last July 21 that an employee assigned at Bills & Index Service tested positive for COVID-19," Montales said.

"We are deeply saddened to know that he passed away early this morning," he added.

According to Montales, the said employee was 52 years old with hypertension, and is the most recent case of COVID-19 reported in the House.

He had been working from home since June 18, but went to their office back in June 29 to submit some documents.

The said employee was hospitalized on July 17 after experiencing some symptoms of the disease, Montales said.

Three days later, on July 20, the employee tested positive for COVID-19, he added.

"May he rest in peace. Our prayers for his loved ones during this difficult time," Montales said.

Third fatality

This is the third employee at the House of Representatives who died after testing positive for COVID-19.

The first one died back on March 15, followed by another one six days later on March 21.

Since the first week of July, cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the House of Representatives almost daily, the number of which has climbed to 18.

Despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the House, most of which were recorded in the days leading up to President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address, no mass testing is being done in the chamber.

House Deputy Secretary General for Administration Department Dr. Ramon Ricardo Roque on Wednesday explained that the chamber has conducted research and consultation with medical experts on the conclusiveness of mass testing.

"Ang sinasabi ng mga doctors of medicine, based on the research, sa tulong din ng UP, yung testing kapag hindi mo nauulit, medyo hindi masyadong conclusive," he said.

"So far, hindi tayo nagma-mass testing," he added.

For his part, Montales believes the safety and health guidelines that the House has issued are sufficient to lessen the risk of COVID-19 transmission, if strictly followed.

He also pointed out that the COVID-19 cases in the House did not get infected from other personnel working at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

"If you look at the data really, ang lumalabas yung transmission ay nanggagaling sa community, hindi naman sa House of Representatives. It's not the case of one employee or member transmitting it to another employee or member," he said.

"Other than the two cases in the printing in the early stages, and recently yung Internal Audit Department, all the rest seems to have been transmitted in their own communities," he added.

As of July 22, a total of 72,269 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Philippines, with 1,843 deaths and 23,623 recoveries. — RSJ, GMA News