Senate tightens protocols as 3 senators test positive for Covid

SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri promptly approved immediate implementation of tightened preventive protocols in the Senate premises as three senators and a number of Senate employees were tested positive for Covid-19.

Emerging from an all-senators’ caucus Wednesday, Zubiri affirmed in plenary session that the Senate would be implementing measures in addition to its existing health and safety protocols starting Monday, August 15.

For a start, the Senate declared a three-week lockdown for guests, but exempted resource persons invited to testify at committee hearings, but will be limited to three per agency, while other resource persons could participate remotely.

Moreover, invited resource persons appearing at the hearing would be asked to present a negative RT-PCR test result with QR code taken within 24 hours, or a negative antigen test result (taken within 12 hours) from any Department of Health (Doh)accredited facility, but self-administered antigen test results without any valid certification shall not be accepted.

For committee hearings, each senator may be assisted by two members of their staff, except for the chairperson of the committee, the same for session duties, as the two-staff-per-senator rule will be retained. The same apply for those taking the elevator, as observance of the five-person limitation rule will be strictly implemented.

At the same time, Zubiri, co-chairman of appealed for the understanding of the general public as the Senate needed to impose stricter measures for the safety and health security of everyone in the Senate.

“We have members who have comorbidities. We have staff with comorbidities and according to the DOH and OCTA Research, the cases will peak in the next two weeks. So maybe, we can give ourselves a bit of a safety net for the next three weeks, at least here in the Senate,” Zubiri said.

Each of the three afflicted senators had announced their infection right after they were tested positive. They are Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Imee Marcos and Cynthia Villar.