Chynna Ortaleza and Kean Cipriano. Image: Instagram/@chynsortaleza
Chynna Ortaleza and her husband singer, Kean Cipriano, have tested positive for COVID-19 and lamented the cost of getting RT-PCR tests amid the pandemic.
The actress told fans via her Instagram page yesterday, Jan. 18, that she had contracted COVID-19. Her announcement was accompanied by photos with Cipriano and their children.
“RT-PCR: Positive. Everyone who knows us will attest to the defense that we put up against this virus. It found us in a place that we secured so that our kids could play safely [and] still enjoy sun and nature,” she said.
Ortaleza also admitted that she does not know how they caught the coronavirus. According to her, she and her family were not close contacts of COVID-19 patients, they have a “strict” family bubble and only remove their face masks when they are at home.
“We have no close contacts. I did hear immense coughing next door (but damn who would have thought!) We have a strict family bubble,” she told fans. “All deliveries are left at the gate — sanitized [and] sprayed before bringing them in to the home in proper PPE [and] KN95 masks.”
Despite her condition, Ortaleza attests to the efficacy of vaccines. She also stressed the importance of self-test kits that helped her family in addressing and managing COVID-19.
She added that they were back on the first day of isolation because her eldest daughter, Stellar, developed a fever and Cipriano also eventually developed symptoms.
“We still have plenty of days to learn [and] fight through. We humbly ask for your prayers,” she addressed fans.
Ortaleza then called for accessible and more affordable COVID-19 tests for the public, as she expressed disappointment over the cost of getting one.
“[Can] we please make tests available to the public for a price that won’t leave people with no choice but to say naubo, nahamugan, napilay, na-allergy at sari-saring na-ano lang (they have a cough, common cold, sprain, allergy or whatever)?” she said. “Ang mahal magpa-RT-PCR [test] (Getting an RT-PCR test is expensive)!”
According to the Department of Health, the price to get an RT-PCR test can range from P1,000 to around P3,000, depending on the laboratory and type of test to be used. The department is currently looking to lower the price cap for the said test amid the new surge in COVID-19 cases. /ra
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