Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Thursday said she tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a statement, the 79-year-old Briones said she received the result from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) last Wednesday.

“This has been my second test. The first was on March 13, after a number of my Execom members were exposed to a patient who tested positive for COVID-19. Similar with other Cabinet members, I was tested to ensure that there was no threat to my functioning as education secretary, and to protect my fellow Cabinet members and the President,” she said.

Briones said the result for the first test was negative but she went on another test after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed that he tested positive for the virus.

“He and I attended an urgent and critical meeting of select Cabinet officials on March 23. My test result, as I said, was positive,” Briones said.

And just like Año, Briones said she remained asymptomatic.

“My body temperature, which is taken three times a day, remains normal,” she said.

“I am going in isolation. However, like my fellow Cabinet member, I will continue working- virtually attend IATF meetings, preside over the DepEd Execom and Mancom, and make all decision necessary to keep DepEd in full operation,” she added.

She also asked those who had physical contact with her to go on self-quarantine.

“DepEd has coordinated with the DOH (Department of Health) for the contact tracing and other necessary interventions following their protocols,” Briones said.

“It is my hope and my fervent prayer that we will recover as nation and that our spirit of bayanihan will pull us through. With God’s grace, we will heal as one,” she said.

Malacanang, in a statement, said they are saddened.

“We are praying that she gets healed from this dreadful disease. Sec. Briones has been an indefatigable and conscientious member of the Cabinet,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

“As expected and as announced by her, she will continue to perform her duties as education secretary while in isolation and despite her present illness,” Panelo added.

Briones is the second Cabinet official who was tested positive for COVID-19. Ella Dionisio/DMS