COVID-19 patients will not be allowed to leave isolation facilities to cast their ballots on May 9, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday.
Vergeire said the Commission on Elections can set alternative ways so COVID-19 patients can vote.
“I don’t think that it would be possible that they will go out of the hospital to vote. They are supposed to be isolated and being managed in the facility,” Vergeire said during a roundtable discussion on how to COVID-proof the 2022 elections.
“So, I guess Comelec can provide alternative mechanisms or processes for them so that they will be able to cast their vote as well,” she added.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, however, said there is no alternative means of voting for COVID-19 patients.
“Comelec never suggested that COVID positive patients be allowed to break quarantine. What we said is that a person suspected of being positive would not be prevented from voting,” Jimenez said in a text message to Manila Standard.
“There is no alternative means of voting for COVID positive patients, just as there are no such means for other hospitalized patients or persons with other communicable diseases,” Jimenez added.
As of Tuesday, DOH data showed active infections have dropped to 18,815.
Lawyer Leylann Manuel, Comelec Employees Union – Nueva Ecija Chapter president, said the poll body will only allow people with COVID-19 symptoms to go to voting precincts but not those with positive COVID-19 test results.
“Our stand is if one is positive for COVID-19, it would be against the law if the patient goes out and roams around. That is prohibited,” he said.
The Comelec earlier said it is eyeing to set up isolation polling places for voters who will exhibit COVID-19 symptoms on May 9.
Comelec Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri said this is among the measures that the poll body is considering to ensure the conduct of the elections will be safe for voters amid the pandemic.
“These are the plans in the pipeline for Comelec in COVID-proofing our 2022 national and local elections. Comelec will conduct a public
simulation of voting in an isolation polling place,” Torrefranca-Neri said.
“The IPP is said to be utilized in case a voter should exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or any increase in body temperature so he or she could still vote despite these challenges,” she said.