MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice main office in Manila will again be placed on lockdown as active COVID-19 cases among employees reach 17.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters Thursday that he is constrained to suspend on-site work at the DOJ main office in Padre Faura, Manila from March 19, Friday to March 23, Tuesday.
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“Everyone will work from home, except a skeletal staff who will receive documents and attend to other frontline sevices,” Guevarra added.
Just last week, Guevarra also suspended on-site work in the department’s main office for disinfection and sanitation due to reported COVID-19 cases. On-site work, although with only 50% reporting to the office, has just resumed on Wednesday.
The DOJ is the latest in government agencies forced to close its premises due to COVID-19 threat.
This week alone, the National Economic and Development Authority locked down its main office in Pasig from March 15 to 21, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development ordered “massive disinfection” in its central office from March 19 to 21.
The Manila Public Information Office reported that as of March 18 noon, it recorded 2,096 active cases in the Philippine capital.
National caseload, meanwhile, is at 635,698, with 61,733 logged as active cases as of March 17. — Kristine Joy Patag