Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Z. Duterte – Carpio (file photo)

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has decided to undergo a voluntary monitored home quarantine and has signed up as a Person Under Monitoring (PUI) under the Davao City Health Office in light of the continuing pandemic of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This came after one of the mayor’s employees at her residence was “unwell” last night.  The employee is now also listed as a PUI.

Yesterday, the presidential daughter was in a lunch meeting with Senator Sherwin Gatchalian in Manila.

Senator Gatchalian announced last night that he decided to undergo a self-quarantine after the wife of one of the resource speakers in his committee hearing last week died.  She is the first Filipino fatality of the disease.  Reports indicate that she died in Manila Doctors Hospital. The resource speaker was confirmed to be COVID-19 positive and is said to be in critical condition.

Senator Nancy Binay, who was also at the same meeting, announced that she will also undergo a self-quarantine.

In a statement posted in the city’s official Facebook page, the Davao City mayor noted that while she has not suffered from any flu-like symptoms, she has decided to undergo self-quarantine to protect other people if she may be found to be sick in the next days.  The statement added that she is in an isolated bedroom at her residence and will continue to fulfill her duties as mayor via online communications.

The statement also said that the mayor can still be messaged directly through her mobile number.  (Rommel F. Lopez)