MANILA, Philippines — An undersecretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) has tested positive for COVID-19.

Undersecretary for administration Alain del Pascua confirmed yesterday that he tested positive for the virus after being exposed to an infected person on Dec. 4.

He said he experienced mild symptoms last Tuesday and is now in a hospital for quarantine and medical observation.

“I have already advised my staff who had close contact with me last week to self-quarantine as an extra precautionary measure,” Del Pascua said in a statement.

“The central office has also coordinated with local health authorities to conduct contact tracing and other necessary interventions to ensure the safety of everyone,” he added.

Last April, Education Secretary Leonor Briones also tested positive and eventually recovered from COVID-19.