Actor Arjo Atayde was rushed to a hospital in Manila on Tuesday, August 17 after he tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement on Wednesday, Atayde's production company Feelmaking Productions said the actor's RT-PCR results came out positive after he experienced high fever, headaches, and difficulty in breathing.
Atayde has been staying in Baguio City for almost two months for the filming of his movie "Hey Joe."
The production house, along with Atayde's doctors and parents, decided to rush him to the hospital on August 17 as he had “a pre-existing medical condition.”
It added that nine other individuals also contracted the viral illness.
The production company added that Atayde's family has reached out to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
“We assure him and the people of Baguio that we will comply with our commitments to the City,” the statement read.
In a separate statement, Magalong ordered an investigation on the alleged health protocol violations by a film crew after 10 of them tested positive for COVID-19.
Magalong, who is also the country's contact tracing czar, said Atayde and his team had promised to create their own "bubble" to avoid interacting and potentially infecting locals.
The mayor, however, said some of the movie crew had been leaving for Manila during the shooting and were not following health protocols imposed by the city.
“For some reason, Mr. Atayde left his group yesterday (Monday) without informing us, although I’m trying to reach out to him to instruct him on what to do with his group left in the city,” Magalong said.
