Mayor Emerson Pascual announcing from a hospital room that he is Covid-19 positive. FB photograb
GAPAN CITY – The mayor of this city mayor is currently being treated in a hospital after testing positive of the coronavirus disease Thursday.
Mayor Emerson Pascual, who earned the admiration of netizens for giving away sacks of rice, meat and chicken for food packs to residents at the onset of the pandemic last year, said he took an antigen test after suffering from a headache at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday which turned positive.
“Pagkatapos naman ng antigen, ako naman ay nagpa-swab test na, RT-PCR, para masigurado natin. Positive po uli,” he said.
“May obligasyon ako na malaman niyo kung ano ang tunay na kalagayan ng kalusugan ko, hindi ko dapat ilihim sa inyo yun at meron kayong karapatan na malaman ‘yon,” Pascual said in a live video message from a hospital room Thursday evening.
But Pascual allayed fears over his health, saying he feels strong. He said he even had some physical exercises at about 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday or about 12 hours before he tested positive of the virus. “Alam niyo nag-jogging pa’ko. Isang oras ako’ng nag-jogging. Pagkatapos ko pong mag-jogging ng isang oras nag-jumping rope pa’ko, yung luksong lubid. naka-1,000 na jumping rope pa’ko,” he said.
He then took a bath and went to work.
“Yun nga po, pagbalik ko ng bahay iba na ang pakiramdam ko. Hanggang ngayon naman po ay maayos ang pakiramdam ko pero dapat talagang agapan,” he added as he asked for prayers for his fast recovery.
He also vowed to continue to perform his duties: “Kahit ako’y may karamdaman, hindi-hindi ko po kayo pababayaan.” Pascual said he has been talking with department heads.
He appealed to his close contacts in the last three days to observe protocols: “Mag-quarantine kayo, magpa-antigen kayo para po sigurado.”
His sister, 4th District board member Joy Pascual who was with him tested negative in an antigen testing, the mayor said.
The city government, he said, has readied assistance to every household in the city should necessity arise amid the implementation of tighter border controls being implemented by the government as a measure to contain the spread of Covid-19, especially the Delta variant.
“Wala pong magiging kawawa sa lungsod ng Gapan,” Pascual said.
