Duque says even close contacts of COVID-19 positives should stay home on Election Day

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said that even the close contacts of a person who tested positive for COVID-19 should remain at home and refrain from going out during the May 9 elections.

Asked in a Super Radyo dzBB interview if family members of a person who is a COVID-19 positive can still go out and vote on Election Day, Duque said, “Hindi. Kung meron naka-isolate, dapat let them stay in where they are kasi kasama ‘yan sa ating Disease Notifiable Act of 2021 or RA 11332.”

“Kung may sakit, naka-isolate ka, let them stay. Hindi puwedeng palalabasin mo tapos magkakalat. Hindi naman tama ‘yun from a public health point of view,” he added.

(No. If someone is isolated, they should stay where they are because that is included in our Disease Notifiable Act of 2021 or Republic Act Number 11332. If you are sick or you are isolated, you have to stay indoors. You can't go out and spread the virus. That is not correct from a public health point of view.)

The Health chief stressed that even family members of a COVID-19 positive should be assumed to have contracted the virus already since they live together and the Omicron variant is more transmissible compared to the Delta variant.

However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), on the other hand, maintained that COVID-19 positives and even those who have COVID-19 symptoms on Election Day will be allowed to vote in isolation polling precincts.

“May posibilidad din po na ‘yung mismong may findings na na talagang COVID-19 positive ay nakalabas ng bahay o isolation facility kung saan siya naandon, wala tayong magagawa kundi pabotohin sila,” Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said in a Balitanghali interview.

(There is also a possibility that those who already tested positive for COVID-19 will be able to come out of their homes or isolation facilities. If that’s the case, we can’t do anything but allow them to vote.)

For his part, Duque explained that such matters will still be discussed with the Comelec for “fine-tuning” considering that it is the first time for the country to conduct an election amid a pandemic.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte has asked voters to comply with minimum public health standards, such as wearing of face masks, in polling places on Election Day to prevent another COVID-19 surge in the country. —KG, GMA News