PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who tested positive for the coronavirus last week, is doing well and continues to work in isolation, according to the presidential palace.
“[He is] giving out directives to his Cabinet officials in the comfort of his home,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a statement on Sunday.
Mr. Marcos tested positive for the virus in an antigen test on Friday and had mild fever and dry cough.
An RT-PCR test was also done to confirm the result, Ms. Angeles said.
On Saturday, the President got a visit from his doctor, who noted that he has “greatly improved with only mild symptoms,” she said. “[He has] no fever, no loss of taste and no smell sensation.”
The examination showed that the president’s throat was clear of any inflammation, Ms. Angeles said. “There was no sign of respiratory distress or pneumonia.”
She said home medications for Mr. Marcos, 64, were being continued and he was under close monitoring by his doctor “until the completion of his home isolation period.”
On Thursday, Mr. Marcos’ Facebook page showed photos of his meeting at the presidential palace with members of the newly installed Private Sector Advisory Council, which was formed to consolidate public-private efforts to address the problems of the agriculture sector.
Mr. Marcos and a few of his guests took off their masks for some photographs.
He first tested positive for the coronavirus in 2020.
He held his first Cabinet meeting on July 5, which focused on the economy. He has yet to name his secretaries for the Health, Energy, Science and Technology and Human Settlements departments. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
