On Jul. 8, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced that she has tested positive for COVID-19.
“Nais ko pong ipahayag sa lahat ng aking minamahal na QCitizens na ako po ay nag-positibo sa aking huling COVID-19 test,” Belmonte said in a statement. “Nagpapasalamat po ako na agad itong natuklasan. Sa ngayon, maayos po ang aking kalagayan at wala po akong nararamdamang anumang sintomas.”
According to a report by Inquirer, Belmonte is currently asymptomatic and “strictly following” quarantine protocols. She also noted that her frequent visits to health centers and lockdown areas could have led to her contracting the disease.
When Quezon City recorded its third positive COVID-19 case out of 33 reported cases back in March, Belmonte said that a lockdown would have been “too early” to impose.
After Metro Manila was placed under enhanced community quarantine on Mar. 17, Quezon City residents complained about Belmonte’s supposed inaction such as the delay in the delivery of food packages. The Quezon City mayor responded to this by saying that they are indeed working to address this, but she also admitted that the city’s quick response fund may not be enough to sustain the city throughout the quarantine.
“Nagaapela na wag na po ninyo akong i-bash. Kumikilos po tayo, intindihin po nila sana yung laki po ng problema. Hindi naman sa hindi tayo kumikilos pero yung suppliers din po natin nahihirapan mag-supply for 400,000 families pero ginagawan po natin ng paraan,” she said in a radio interview.
Belmonte also posted a now-deleted response on her Facebook on Mar. 19 to those who criticized her for her alleged slow response by saying, “To those who hate me, you are under no obligation to accept any of my projects – housing, education, healthcare, social benefits.”
“That means there will be more for those who truly have faith in me as their leader,” she added.
As of writing, the Philippines has 47,873 cases of COVID-19, with 12,386 recoveries and 1,309 deaths. According to a local government report published on Jul. 7, 3,869 of the recorded positive cases are from Quezon City.
Photo by Ryan Leagogo for Inquirer.net
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