68 staff members of Bongbong-Sara Uniteam get COVID-19, HQ closed for another week

At least 68 staff members working at the headquarters of the tandem of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for Eleksyon 2022 tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from Marcos Jr's office.

The BBM-Sara Uniteam headquarters in Mandaluyong City will thus remain closed for another week, it said.

The headquarters was first locked down last week after more than 30 staff members and volunteers tested positive for COVID-19 via antigen testing done on Monday.

RT-PCR testing was then conducted on Friday, and 68 staff members were confirmed to be positive for COVID-19.

According to the statement, all employees were then sent home except for a skeletal force working on preparing and distributing relief goods for Typhoon Odette victims.

Among those who got COVID-19 was Marcos Jr's spokesperson Atty. Vic Rodriquez. Marcos was exposed to him and to his chief security, Rodriguez said. 

The former senator who is aspiring for the presidency in Eleksyon 2022 is currently in isolation. He was not able to attend the hearing on the three disqualification cases filed against him before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday because he was not feeling well.

The Philippines on Saturday recorded 26,458 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily tally since the start of pandemic, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 2,936,875. —KG, GMA News