MANILA - A total of 13 personnel of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) have tested positive for COVID-19, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Saturday.

The PCOO at first confirmed 10 cases Saturday morning and said later in the day that 3 more have been added to the list.

The Palace communications personnel are among Malacañang staffers confirmed to have acquired the virus, with two other personnel of the Palace broadcast office also infected.

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"I would like to inform the public that I tested negative for COVID-19 after I underwent a test on Thursday, July 23. However, I regret to confirm that, as of 6:00am today, a total of ten (10) of our personnel in the main office tested positive," Andanar said in a statement.

He conveyed "hopes and prayers for their speedy recovery from the virus."

Andanar did not disclose details on whether or not the PCOO personnel were showing symptoms and at what severity. He said the PCOO is providing assistance to the sick staffers and their families.

"We would like to assure the family of those who have been infected by COVID-19, as well as the general public, that the PCOO is doing all the health and medical protocols prescribed by the government, especially the intensified contact tracing and testing, as part of our due diligence to prevent further transmissions among those who have been in contact with them," he said.

The official said "physical work suspension" at the PCOO would continue indefinitely as disinfection continues at Malacañang's New Executive Building (NEB), which houses the communications office.

PCOO will continue operations with staffers working from home.

"All programs and briefings done at NEB will be undertaken remotely and/or virtually," Andanar said.

"Rest assured that the delivery of essential and timely information to the Filipino public will remain unhampered and unchanged as we have adopted a work-from-home arrangement," he said.

While several PCOO and Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) staffers have fallen ill with the contagious disease, Palace coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address (SONA) will proceed on Monday, Andanar said.

"The Radio Television-Malacañang (RTVM) will continue on their coverage plan with the deployment of a different team that is not among those who have been in contact with its two COVID-19 positive personnel," he said.

Those to be sent to cover the address will undergo COVID-19 testing to ensure the safety of Duterte and the limited number of guests who will gather physically at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday.