Mayors with Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda wait for their turn at Sunday’s swab test at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center. Photo from FB page of Mayor Gloria “Ninang” Ronquillo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Twelve mayors of Pampanga on Sunday were swab tested for the Covid-19 after being exposed to a colleague who had contracted the coronavirus.
Gov. Dennis Pineda on Monday said he requested the mayors to take the tests and go into isolation until the test results are released to avoid transmitting the virus.
The mayors, along with the governor, were with Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque in a meeting of the Pampanga Mayors League with officials of the Department of Education on July 13, with preparation of the LGUs for the opening of classes as main agenda.
Maglanque on Sunday posted in his Facebook page that results of the RT-PCR test he underwent on July 16 showed him positive of Covid-19. He recalled that he experienced fever, cough, and loose bowel movement after the PML meeting but managed to travel to Metro Manila on July 15 and return to Pampanga on the same day.
In the meeting, the mayors and resource persons wore face masks and observed social distancing protocols, seated at least a meter apart.
Pineda sat at the head table between PML president Minalin Mayor Edgar Flores and Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr.
Maglanque sat between Macabebe Mayor Leonardo Flores and Magalang Mayor Romulo Pecson.
Maglanque said he left the meeting after it was adjourned. He said he might have been exposed to the virus through a worker in his farm.
Lazatin said he did not have himself tested because he only talked briefly with Pineda and did not mingle with Maglanque during the meeting.
The mayors of Apalit, Mexico, and Floridablanca towns and the cities of Mabalacat and San Fernando were either absent or represented in the PML meeting.
On Monday, several mayors posted on social media their advisories about their absence from work and quarantine.
The governor said he was also in isolation.
