MANILA, Philippines — The lockdown enforced for 10 days at the Department of Justice central office in Manila to curb the transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 will be lifted today, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced yesterday.
Guevarra placed the DOJ building on lockdown after 72 employees initially tested positive for the virus during antibody rapid testing last week.
Of the number, five DOJ personnel and a security guard were found positive for COVID-19 after undergoing confirmatory swab tests.
Guevarra said he decided not to extend the lockdown to four more days based on the recommendation of Justice Undersecretary Lean Sunga.
“During the lockdown period, we conducted daily disinfection of the entire DOJ building and premises,” Sunga said.
The DOJ implemented skeletal and work-from-home arrangements to ensure the agency’s continued operations during the shutdown.
Virus-free
Employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have not been infected with COVID-19 since last month.
BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina said 12 of their personnel initially tested positive for the virus after undergoing antibody rapid testing. They were found negative during the confirmatory swab tests.
Medina said about two-thirds of the 1,026 BI personnel are performing frontline duties at the airport.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente urged BI personnel to always observe health protocols to avoid contracting the virus.
Morente has ordered the agency’s more than 3,000 employees nationwide to undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19.