DILG Iloilo office locked down after staff test positive for COVID-19

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

The Department of Interior and Local Government-Region 6 (DILG-6) announced on Monday that it temporarily closed its Iloilo Province office located in Mandurriao, Iloilo City after 23 of its staff contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a press release on its social media handles, DILG-6 said that it has also started the process of extensive tracing up to the second degree of contact, and has decontaminated the office.

Established contacts within the office have been informed of their inclusion in the agency’s list for swab testing via Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method.

The agency also set up Work From Home arrangements for all personnel to ensure their safety.

They also assured the public that they will be providing updates on the situation.

“The public is advised to remain calm as the condition is properly managed and handled by the management of DILG 6. As the head of the [Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases], the department is committed to secure by all means the general public including its personnel in the infections brought by COVID-19. In the spirit of transparency, we will be providing updates to our constituents for their guidance and information,” the DILG-6 said in its statement.

DILG-6 OIC Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero told Daily Guardian in a text message that the DILG Iloilo Province office will remain closed for the time being, and that services will continue online.

“We will have it opened once all contact tracing activities are done and with all those subjected for swabbing return with a negative RT-PCR Test result. We are assuring the public, particularly the direct clients of DILG Iloilo Province that services will continue online. The management has been doing its best to restore the services provided by the office,” Ingeniero said.

The 23 confirmed cases are now isolated in their respective local government units (LGUs).