Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered city hall employees who worked during the enhanced community quarantine to undergo a swab test for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from June 22 to June 26 inside the city hall compound.
“We will maximize all available resources within the bounds of the guidelines issued by the national government,” she said.
But she gave the personnel who would be found COVID-19 positive the assurance that time spent under quarantine would not be deducted from their sick leave.
She was referring to the guidelines released by ex-councilor Joseph Juico, project head of the city’s COVID-19 community-based testing, citing among those to be prioritized are employees who have been involved in special amelioration program payouts and packing of relief.
While the city government would want to test all of its employees for COVID-19, she said the amended guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases had discouraged it to avoid the depletion of available test kits and testing resources.
“We will prioritize those who reported for work under the enhanced community quarantine since they have the higher chance (of contracting the disease) due to their possible exposure to the virus,” she added.
After that, employees of the other departments who have not been on-duty during the lockdown would be tested subject to the availability of test kits.
The city government identified city hall employees who were physically present during the enhanced community quarantine as those from the Office of the City Mayor, Office of the City
Administrator, Business Permit and Licensing Department, City Treasurer’s Office, Tourism, Assessor’s Office, City Architect’s Department, Department of Building Official and Engineering Department to be given the priority.
Also given the priority are employees of the City Health Department, Quezon City Medical
Center, Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital, Novaliches District Hospital, Department of Public Order and Safety, Public Affairs and Information Services Department, Market Development and Administration Department; Transport and Traffic Management Taskforce; Barangay and Community Relations Department, Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department; General Services Department, Social Services and Development Department, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Radio Communications Service.
City hall employees covered by the guidelines would be required to submit a digital self- assessment form from the health department through an email to avoid close contact and to ensure ease of processing, Belmonte said.
The city health officer, Dr. Esperanza Arias, would conduct review and assess the forms submitted by the employees.
“Employees must secure that their declared mobile number on the form is reachable, in case of clarifying matters and follow-up assessment,” she said.
Those to be tested IgM positive through rapid diagnostic test shall be required to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for confirmation
“All personnel tested positive to IgM+ on RDT and symptomatic must under go mandatory quarantine, either through home isolation or in one of the HOPE community caring facilities, while waiting for the PCR result,” Arias said.
Symptomatic employees would immediately undergo RT-PCR testing without RDT, she added.
