MANILA — Nueva Vizcaya Vice Governor Jose "Tam-an" Tomas Sr. announced Thursday he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement, Tomas said he had been sick with flu and experienced difficulty in breathing before he was admitted on Wednesday to a hospital, where he got tested for the coronavirus.

"By a twist of fate, while today is April Fool’s Day, my swab test result is not a joke. I was immediately admitted to the hospital upon learning the results," Tomas said.

JUST IN: Nueva Vizcaya Vice Governor Jose "Tam-an" Tomas, Sr. says he tested positive for #COVID19.

He says he had been down with flu for the past few days before he was admitted to the hospital yesterday, March 31, due to difficulty in breathing. pic.twitter.com/W12g3TsAsO

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) April 1, 2021

The vice governor said his relatives and staff whom he recently interacted with have also been tested for COVID-19.

"Thankfully, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has been in lockdown since almost two weeks ago and everyone is working from home," he added.

On Thursday, the Department of Health registered 8,920 additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the country's total cases to 756,199.

• Philippines logs 8,920 new COVID-19 cases; 138,948 active cases highest since start of pandemic