Rama is COVID negative, still to work from home

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama | Photo from Cebu City PIO live video

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has tested negative to the COVID-19, but he will remain to work from home for some period of time.

The mayor said in a phone interview with CDN Digital that his real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result has come out today, January 25, 2022, and it showed that he was indeed negative of COVID-19.

He previously said on Monday, January 24, 2022, that he is voluntarily isolating while awaiting his test results

The mayor said he has no symptoms and did not actually need to get tested, but he decided to do so to be sure after he was exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual.

READ: Rama voluntarily isolates after exposure to COVID

In spite of testing negative to the virus, the mayor said he is choosing to work from home in the meantime in order to avoid any more exposures considering his age and comorbidities.

The mayor is also concerned with his household especially since he has a nearly 2-year-old son, MJ, who is also susceptible to the virus.

“Para if naay possibility maexposed ko, dili pud sila mangaigo diba?” said the mayor.

Rama said he will only return to fully working physically at the City Hall once his doctor clears him for doing so.

For now, the mayor does not feel any difference as he is still conducting meetings with city officials in his home in Barangay Guadalupe in socially-distant meetings. He is also conducting online meetings through Zoom.

Rama said that while he may be in some sort of quarantine, he will still go around the city to check the implementation of Oplan Puyo, which is in effect for Alert Level 3 areas.

He will do this by traveling around the city in his van surrounded by only a few close contacts to avoid exposure as of now.       /rcg