DPWH Sec Mark Villar tests positive for COVID-19

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar announced on July 15, 2020, that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

Villar's positive result came just two days after he was appointed as the government's 'isolation czar' for the pandemic response.

He announced his positive test result on Facebook, stating "I regret to announce that today, July 15, I received my test result and it is positive for Covid-19."

Following his announcement, he did not attend the inauguration of the final section of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway and skipped the inspection of the new terminal building of the Clark International Airport.

Under his leadership, the Department of Public Works and Highways has transformed numerous public buildings into quarantine facilities, with Villar reporting 55,416 available beds and plans to build an additional 50.

Villar joins other members of the Duterte Cabinet who have previously contracted the virus, including Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Education Secretary Leonor Briones.