Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana tested positive again for COVID-19, the second time he contracted the disease this year.
Lorenzana confirmed the news to reporters on Wednesday night, where he revealed that he received his swab test result on Tuesday afternoon after a Senate hearing.
The secretary is fully vaccinated and is currently asymptomatic for the disease.
He said that he will be observing himself for several days before taking another swab test.
This is the second time that the secretary contracted COVID-19 after he also tested positive for it in April this year.
Lorenzana was present at the Senate plenary hearings to deliberate the 2022 national budget.
Senators Tito Sotto and Juan Miguel Zubiri both said the budget deliberations will be suspended to get everyone tested before resuming on Monday.
Sotto said close contacts of Delfin will be subjected to RT-PCR tests by Saturday or Sunday.
In addition, the Senate will also be carrying out stricter health protocols by barring those without a swab-PCR test or swab-antigen within 24 hours, according to Sotto.
