Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat recently said she will be on self-quarantine after the announcement that Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., has tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In a statement, Romulo-Puyat said she was in close contact with Santos in a meeting on March 20.
“I will not have myself tested in order to save the limited supply of testing kits.”
“Since I do not show any signs nor symptoms, I will not be having myself tested in order to save the limited supply of testing kits to people who truly need it. By staying at home, I will not put anyone I come in contact with at risk. The safety of those around me is my priority,” the tourism chief said.
“I will continue working while on self-quarantine.”
The tourism head said she would continue working while on self-quarantine as the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) staff members have been performing their jobs remotely since the start of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
“Our locations will not beset us from fulfilling our duties to serve our tourists and stakeholders in this time of need,” she said.
To date, the DOT has assisted 11,863 travelers nationwide while 1,466 remain stranded, mostly in Region 7 (Central Visayas), 700; Region 11 (Davao region), 218; and Region 5 (Bicol), 177.