Zubiri's wife tests negative for COVID-19

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday said his wife tested negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

"The happiest moment of my life is on the news that my wife Audrey, the love of my life and mother of my three small children, tested negative for the virus," Zubiri said in a message to reporters.

"Thank you God above for that. I'm happy that my family is now safe and will continue their self-quarantine till this pandemic is over," he added.

The senator, who tested positive for COVID-19 despite being asymptomatic, underscored that his Hong Kong trip with his wife earlier this year has no connection with his diagnosis.

"I would like to make also a correction that our trip with my wife to HK happened on early January before the COVID-19 became [a] serious scare and there [are] still no travel bans at that time," Zubiri said.

"So, suffice to say that trip was two and a half months ago and has no bearing on my case. If I got infected, it was during this last two weeks of work at the Senate," he added.

He stressed that senators have been exposed to a lot of visitors before Congress went on break last week.

Further, Zubiri said he is willing to undergo another COVID-19 test if needed.

"Just to be 100% sure, I'm very open to being tested again. Today I feel fine, no fever, no body aches, no persistent coughs so I can consider myself lucky," he said.

Zubiri announced on Monday night that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, however, said that the result could be "false positive." — RSJ, GMA News