Guests not allowed to enter Senate in next 3 weeks due to COVID-19 cases — Zubiri

The Senate of the Philippines will be implementing stricter protocols inside the building after three senators tested positive for COVID-19.

"Due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the last week, where we had three of our colleagues testing positive for COVID-19, during our caucus the senators decided to tighten our health and safety protocols," Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said during the Senate session Wednesday.

"Effective Monday, August 15, for three weeks, we will have a lockdown for guests. We'll receive no guests for three weeks except for resource persons which will be limited to two per agency or organization. The others could participate remotely," he said.

Zubiri said resource persons who will enter the building are required to present a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken 24 hours prior to their scheduled meeting inside the Senate or a negative antigen COVID-19 test taken 12 hours prior to their entry.

Self-administered COVID-19 tests without valid certification will not be honored, he added.

During committee hearings and plenary sessions, Zubiri said each senator can bring only two members of their staff.

However, chairpersons of the committee can bring more staff members during the hearings.

"We beg the indulgence of the general public. It's just kung hindi po natamaan ang mga senador, masama dito e sunod-sunod po ang pagtama sa ating mga kasamahan sa Senado and we just want to be safe. We have members with comorbidities, staff with comorbidities," he said.

"According to the DOH and OCTA Research... the cases will peak in the next weeks. So maybe we could give ourselves a bit of a safety net for the next few weeks at least in the Senate," he added.

In a span of one week, it was reported that Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Imee Marcos and Cynthia Villar all tested positive for COVID-19. — RSJ, GMA News