Dela Rosa hospitalized, recovering since COVID-19 infection
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa who has tested positive for the coronavirus has been hospitalized for more than a week now and is since recovering, his staff said Thursday.
A report by News5 said the lawmaker was taken to the hospital on November 23 after experiencing fever, cough and cold — the usual symptoms for the deadly virus.
Dela Rosa being taken to a medical facility came just days after he announced that he had contracted the COVID-19 on November 21.
"I am sorry to inform that I tested positive for [COVID-19] yesterday," he announced in a Facebook post. "To all who made contact with me, [please] do the [appropriate] protocols."
The neophyte senator is the fifth member of the upper chamber to be infected with the coronavirus, following senators Bong Revilla, Sonny Angara, Koko Pimentel and Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Dela Rosa's staff has also said that he may be discharged at any day now.
It was not immediately clear how he came to contract the virus, but Dela Rosa attended the budget interpellations of the Senate for next year's proposed P4.1 trillion spending plan on November 18.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III had since said that they will review health protocols being followed in the chamber following the incident.
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed sessions of the country's legislature to adopt a hybrid form of sessions — with some opting to attend in person while others joining via teleconference.
In Congress, dozens of lawmakers had been confirmed to have the COVID-19, with House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza on Tuesday announcing that 98 congressmen and staff tested positive for the virus in a mass testing drive at the lower chamber. — with reports from Marie Ann Los Baños/News5
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