Philippines President Duterte to undergo Covid-19 testing

President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte will be tested for the novel coronavirus despite not showing any symptoms, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement as two of his key government officials went into quarantine after they came into contact with an infected person.

In response, the Senate building and Philippine central bank were undergoing cleaning, and several officials announced they would isolate themselves as a precaution.

Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay said they were having themselves quarantined after meeting with a witness during a committee hearing on March 5, who was confirmed to be infected by the virus.

The precautions are being taken considering the spurt in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade separately announced of going into quarantine as a precautionary measure after meeting with an infected person, according to South China Morning Post.

An inter-agency task force on emerging infectious diseases will meet on Thursday to discuss urgent measures amid the outbreak.