MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City’s Hall of Justice has been placed on lockdown from May 18 until further notice as its Office of Executive Judge verifies a report that a worker at the hall died of suspected COVID-19.
Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 89 Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert said that upon the authority of Court Administrator Midas Marquez, the Hall of Justice (Main and Annex) will be placed on lockdown as the office verifies the report of a worker holding office at the building who died of severe pneumonia.
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The worker, who is not a staff of the RTC or the Metropolitan Trial Courts, was at the Hall of Justice “a few days before dying,” the statement read.
If proven true, the office will also conduct contact tracing and disinfect the building.
No person shall be allowed to enter the Hall of Justice during the said period, said Villavert in a statement posted by the Supreme Court Public Information Office on Monday.
All initiatory pleadings, in civil and criminal cases, shall be filed electronically and be received by the Office of the Clerk of Court of the RTC or the Metropolitan Trial Court through official addresses posted on the SC website.
Inquiries for the RTC and MeTC can also be directed to hotline numbers of the courts.
Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, in a circular last week, said courts in areas enforced with Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine shall remain physically closed but will accept all pleadings and petitions online.
Quezon and the rest of Metro Manila are among the areas deemed high-risk to the spread of the coronavirus and have been placed under MECQ. Other localities under MECQ are the Municipality of Pateros, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, Angeles City and Laguna.
Civil weddings may also be conducted but parties, witnesses and guests shall not exceed five people.