There are only 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Department of Justice (DOJ) since the dreaded virus spread in the country last March.
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete attributed the low COVID-19 infections at the DOJ's offices on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila to the strict implementation of lockdown and protocols adopted by the government.
Of the 12 COVID-19 infected employees confirmed through swab tests, 11 of them are regular employees while the other one is an outsourced worker, Perete said.
Six of those infected have recovered while the rest are still under treatment and quarantine, he added.
“Comparatively speaking, the cases of COVID-19 at the DOJ seems to be at the lower end, vis-a-vis other offices at the National Capital Region. The lockdown implemented early, along with the other protocols, appear to have helped in managing the number of cases in the department,” he pointed out.
He stressed that among the measures implemented by the DOJ in containing the spread of the virus are the assignment of skeleton work force, online filing of complaints, and disinfection of offices every two weeks.
At the same time, Perete said the COVID-19 infected employees did not get the virus at the DOJ but in their homes and communities.
The DOJ, he said, had initiated efforts to locate those who came in contact with the 12 infected employees.
“Contact tracing has been conducted as part of our protocol. Based on these contact tracing, the confirmed cases were infected at home/in their respective communities and not at work,” he also said.