Active COVID-19 cases in PCOO rise to 72

MANILA, Philippines — The number of active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and its attached agencies has risen to 72.

The National Printing Office has the most number of infections with 32 followed by PCOO with 24, data released by Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Jusan Vincent Arcena Thursday showed.

The APO production unit has nine active cases while People's Television (PTV) network has five. The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) have one active case each.

A total of 15 employees of PCOO and its attached agencies have recovered from the disease. Six of the persons who recovered are working for PCOO while four are connected with the PIA. The RTVM logged two recoveries while the Bureau of Broadcast Services, APO and PTV have one each. One employee each from PCOO, APO and PTV have died from COVID-19.

Overall, the PCOO and its attached agencies have logged a total of 90 infections, including recoveries and deaths.

The PCOO has undertaken precautionary measures to contain the virus including the suspension of work in its offices at the New Executive Building in the Malacañang complex. The NPO and RTVM have also closed their offices to conduct tests and disinfections and to allow its employees to undergo quarantine.

PTV has also decided to limit live programs from August 3 to 10.

"We continue to take proactive measures to address the situation as our office immediately conducted another batch of testing and contact tracing of the primary and secondary contacts of those newly infected among our staff," PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.  

"We will also continue our assistance and support to the family of those who have been infected by COVID-19, in the same way that we ensure the safety of all our personnel against the virus," he added.

Andanar said PCOO response teams continue to coordinate all of the agency's efforts on contact tracing, testing, monitoring and isolation.

"Rest assured that the delivery of essential and timely information to the Filipino public will continue despite the unfortunate circumstance we are facing," Andanar said.

"As work at the New Executive Building remains suspended, PCOO continues to adopt a work-from-home arrangement in order to fulfill its obligations and mandate to the Filipino people," he added.