Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan meets with CIDG personnel in this May 2020 photo| Photo courtesy of Junard “Ahong” Chan
CEBU CITY, Philippines— After testing positive of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has said that this is only temporary and that Oponganons need not worry about his condition.
Chan told CDN Digital through a phone interview on Saturday, June 13, 2020, that he had been in home isolation since Wednesday (June 10) of last week.
Read more: Lapu-Lapu mayor Ahong Chan tests positive for COVID-19
The mayor recalled that it was last week since he felt tired and thought it was just overfatigue and decided to rest in his home and undergo swab testing on Wednesday, June 10, to make sure. On Friday, June 12, Chan announced in his Facebook page that he was tested positive of the virus.
“I am now in home isolation, dinhi sa among guest room, nag negative na sab akong family ug ubang nakaclose contacts nako, duha ra ang ni positive out of 81 nga close contact nako,” he said.
(I am now in home isolation at our guest room. The other members of my family tested negative of the virus, and among the 81 close contacts that I had, only two of them tested positive of the virus.)
The two who tested positive was his backup security and driver.
“Akong security and driver separate nga car or bali backup nako. Security ug driver nako maoy nag positive, duha, but nag contact tracing na sab sila and gi paubos na sa isolation,” the mayor added.
(My security and driver from a separate car — my backup security. The security man and my driver are the ones who turned out positive of the virus. The two of them. Contact tracing had already been done and they are undergoing home isolation.)
Read more: Lapu-Lapu mayor wants GCQ extended
Now, that he is spending at least two weeks under home isolation until he gets better, Chan may be hard to reach at this time since he was advised by the doctors to take some rest as he makes a full recovery.
“Naay oras nga akong i-on and off akong cellphones. Mangayo lang kog distansya gamay kay mao may ingon sa doctors. This is just only temporary, I will be back soon, God’s will, mabalik lang gyud ko sa trabaho. So wala silay angay ikabalaka maayo ra gyud ang ilang mayor,” said the mayor.
(There will be a time when I will turn my cellphone on and off. I will just ask for patience and a little distance from my work because that is what the doctors say. This is just temporary. I will be back soon. God willing, I will be back at work. So there’s nothing for everyone to worry about their mayor.)
As for his constituents, he said that they need not worry about his condition as he had been feeling a lot better and stronger than ever.
“Gusto ko ipa abot nila nga di sila angay mabalaka because ilang mayor maayo ra ang condition — walay hilanat, walay ubo, walay sip-on, wala maglisod og ginhawa. Normal ra gyud ang ilahang mayor. Normal ra gyud ang kahimtang, murag mas maayo pa akong kahimtang karon kaysa nagtrabaho ko kay nakapahuway ko,” said Chan.
(I would like this assurance to reach them. That they need not worry about their mayor because he is still in good condition — he has no fever, no coughs, no colds, and he has no difficulty breathing. The mayor is in normal health. In fact, I feel better now as compared to when I was working then because I have already taken some rest.)
The mayor said that he would keep himself busy by still browsing through his phone and checking for updates, and from time to time, he takes his naps and takes the needed medicine.
“Pahuway lang sa gyud ko ron, assist gamay sa staff, pero I already instructed my team o staff to continue serving the Oponganons,” he said.
(I will just have to rest, assist my staff every now and then, but I already instructed my team or my staff to continue serving the Oponganons.) /dbs