The Mandaue City Legal Office will be opened for transactions starting Thursday, January 28, 2021. | Contributed photo via Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – Another Mandaue City Hall employee had tested positive for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The latest infected employee is a male from the City Legal Office (CLO) whose work station is reportedly beside the first CLO employee who was found positive for COVID-19.
Of the 32 CLO personnel who had undergone swab tests last Saturday, January 23, 2021, he was the only one who tested positive for the virus.
All 32 CLO personnel were subjected to a swab test after the first positive case was confirmed from the said office. The CLO was also temporarily closed.
Currently, seven Mandaue City Hall have been infected with COVID-19 including two from the CLO and five from the City Engineer’s Office (CEO).
Despite the COVID-19 cases in these offices, lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, executive secretary of Mayor Jonas Cortes, said the offices will resume operations on Thursday, January 28, 2021.
The CLO was closed since Monday, January 25, 2021, while the first floor of the CEO building where the Office of the Building Official is also located, was placed under lockdown since January 20, 2021.
“Nipagawas na og recommendation ang Emergency Operations Center nga pwede nang makabalik pagtrabaho ang katung mga negative sa City Legal ug City Engineering kay nigawas naman tanan’g resulta. By tomorrow operational na sila,” said Ibañez.
Ibañez said with the rising cases of COVID-19 in Mandaue City and in the offices, the city will implement a work-from-home scheme for senior citizens and those with comorbidities. He added all city hall offices will again operate with a skeletal workforce
“Gipirmahan na ni Atty. Jamaal ang memo naa lay gipangfinalize. Ato lang nang gibuhat para pod ma maintain ato’ng serbisyo sa government, nakita bitaw nato nitrabaho na kasagaran ang tawo sa city engineering, pagkaigo sa usa na backed down gyud ang serbisyo kay wala may makapuli. So karun balik napod sa alternate nga pagtrabaho aron og naay simbako magpositive diri dili gyud buot pasabot nga asta ang nagwork from home ma expose niya so mao toy makapuli niya,” he said. /rcg