San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora has ordered the Agora market to remain temporary closed until July 15 after 23 of the 614 swab test results of 647 market vendors and workers at the Palacio de Maynila on July 1 and 2 were found positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Zamora said on Wednesday (July 8) that the continued temporary closure of Agora market was in compliance with the guideline set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Diseases (IATF) and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF), that public markets with more than three confirmed cases shall be placed on a 15-day lockdown.
“I ordered the temporary closure of the market pending the results of the swab tests conducted on our market vendors and workers. Unfortunately, a number of them turned out positive so we are extending the closure as per the guidelines of IATF and NTF. The health and well-being of San Juaneños must take precedence,“ Zamora said.
He added that the City Health Office (CHO) identified the market as the epicentre of the recent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
The mayor also said all those who tested positive are asymptomatic, and are now in isolation and being provided with medical attention while their close contacts have also been tested and are in quarantine.
Zamora ordered the temporary closure of the market last July 1 after a fish stall helper tested positive for the coronavirus.
He also told the CHO to conduct contact tracing of close contacts and immediately have them swabbed and tested, while the market administration was also ordered by the mayor to thoroughly disinfect the market while it remains closed.
The mayor said that as part of the city’s precautionary measures and continuity plan, all 647 market vendors and workers were swabbed for RT-PCR test.
He added that only those who tested negative and are not close contacts of the COVID-19-positive patients will be allowed to return to work on July 16 after securing a special health clearance from the CHO.
The market’s 3.74 percent positivity rate is much lower than NCR’s 8.6 percent. However, Zamora does not want to be complacent and opted to observe stricter rules.
“To make sure our constituents are safe when they come to the market, the city government will implement stringent measures through our Business Permit and Licensing Office and our CHO with the help of the market administration and the vendors and workers themselves,” Zamora said.
In a consultative meeting with the mayor, city officials, market administration, and representatives of the vendors and workers organizations in Agora market agreed to follow stricter protocols and appoint health and safety protocol officers to help the San Juan City police and CHO personnel implement precautionary measures to avoid the further spread of the coronavirus.
Zamora also said that the market is also due for a 250-day renovation starting later this month, adding that the renovation will be done in six phases and those affected in each phase will be allowed to set up shop at the temporary stalls in the plaza.
The mayor said that the construction of temporary market stalls in the plaza will begin on July 17.