12 employees of Cebu City bank positive for COVID-19

Councilor Joel Garganera, who is also the Emergency Operations Center head, says the 12 employees of a bank that has been found positive for COVID-19 have already been isolated and contact tracing has already started in their households, and bank branch. | CDN Digital file

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Employees of a bank in Cebu City were tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prompting the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to temporarily close down the bank.

Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the EOC, told reporters on September 10, 2020, that the 12 bank employees were among the 39 new positive cases in the city that were recorded last September 9, 2020 by the Department of Health.

The EOC has isolated the 12 employees and has conducted the contact tracing on their 12 households, the entire branch, and another branch of the same bank that may possibly have been in contact with one of the positive cases.

Read: ‘Zone’ in Cebu chosen for COVID vaccine clinical trial

Garganera reminded all bank establishments to strictly put up health measures against the spread of the COVID-19 such as disinfection of frequently touched items like pens, wearing of face masks, putting up of plastic barriers, and following the social distancing protocols.

Read: Workplace transmission comprises almost 50% of Cebu City’s new cases

The banks are one of the most frequented places by the public, even if there is generally no crowding inside the establishments.

As people frequent the banks, this raises their risks of the spread of the virus especially that any client may come and go anytime to transact.

The employees may also have a tendency to be complacent with each other due to familiarity during breaks and meal times.

“That is why we are really asking the banks to be strict in helping the health protocols. Let us not allow the virus chances to spread in our workplaces,” said the councilor.

Aside from the bank employees, 7 locally stranded individuals (LSIs), who returned from Metro Manila also proved positive to the virus and they were among the 39 new cases of the city.

Garganera said that four of the LSIs proved positive after swabbing upon arrival, while the other three proved positive after swabbing for employment requirements.

The new cases were recorded in 18 barangays and most of the cases recorded in Barangay Apas with 10 new cases there./dbs