A total of 34 individuals in the House of Representatives were tested positive for coronavirus disease following the conduct of a second mass testing, an official said on Sunday.

In a statement, House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza said 34 out of 2,848 House members and employees were tested positive during their mass testing last January 18 to 27.

Mendoza said the result went down by almost two-thirds from the 98 they recorded last year.

“This is equivalent to a positivity rate of only 1.19 percent, which is way below the 5 percent positivity rate recorded during the first mass testing,” Mendoza said.

He attributed the decline in cases to the effective implementation of COVID-19 management program using the tried-and-tested “test, trace and treat” approach.

The official said almost all cases in the second mass testing were asymptomatic, similar to the first mass testing.

Mendoza said all those who tested positive were brought to isolation facilities to avoid possible transmission and immediate tracing of their close contacts was conducted.

“Throughout the testing period, we were coordinating closely with our Barangay Health Emergency Response Team and followed DOH protocols,” he added.

He said the detection of the new COVID-19 variant in the country has prompted Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to order a stricter enforcement of health and safety protocols within the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

“Coronavirus cases in the House have been brought down quite remarkably but because of the new strain, we cannot be complacent,” Mendoza said.

“Speaker Velasco said we must continue or even intensify our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially now that a new variant of coronavirus is gaining a foothold in the country,” he added.

Aside from regular testing, visitors are required to present a negative COVID-19 Antigen test result before they are granted access to the offices inside the complex.

Mendoza said all those entering the House need to wear masks and face shields, pass through thermal scanners and disinfection machines, and observe physical distancing at all times.

House members, employees and guests are required to submit an accomplished health declaration form to inform the chamber of their health status before being allowed entry into the premises.

Cleaning and disinfection of all offices and buildings within the complex are done on a daily basis.

Mendoza added the House is also conducting a hybrid session that combines physical presence with teleconferencing, thus allowing it to continue its constitutional mandate amid the pandemic with due consideration on the health and safety of its members and staff. Ella Dionisio/DMS