Philippines’ Senate Majority Leader, Juan Miguel Zubiri has tested positive for coronavirus as confirmed in a tweet he shared. 

Zubiri who is Philippines’ first national official to contract the virus, had opted for a voluntary isolation after a resource person who attended a hearing in the Senate on March 5 tested positive for COVID-19.

However according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, the senate majority is asymptomatic, meaning he is yet to show any symptoms of the disease like dry cough, fever and shortness of breath.

In a message to his supporters, he wrote; 

“To my dear fellow Filipinos, my Kababayans. It is with sadness that I announce that I am positive for Covid 19. I had a test taken last Friday while on self-quarantine and this afternoon I received a call from Sec. Duque on my condition.”

“My heart sank with what he had said but I’m uplifted with the fact that I am asymptomatic and have no fever or cough nor am I weak or have any headaches. My decision to self-quarantine last Wednesday evening after session was the best decision I made and could have protected my Family from contamination.”

Sen. Nancy Binay, who attended the same hearing earlier tested negative for the virus. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who is also in isolation is yet to receive his test results.

President Rodrigo Duterte also tested negative for COVID-19. The Philippines has so far reported 140 infections, including 12 fatalities since the country’s first detected case in late January.

Globally, there have been more than 169,000 infections and over 6,500 confirmed deaths from the virus that originated in central Chinese city of Wuhan last year.